Did You Know . . . General Lee Pardoned

On August 5, 1975, President Gerald Ford pardoned General Robert E. Lee and restored his full rights of citizenship. After the American Civil War, General Lee believed that it was everyone's duty to work together to reestablish peace and harmony between the North and South. Lee wanted to set the example and petitioned then-President Andrew Johnson to reinstate his citizenship. Because of a clerical error, Lee's Oath of Allegiance (part of the citizenship requirement) was lost, so his application did not go through before his death. In 1970, Lee's Oath of Allegiance was found among other papers in the National Archives. When President Ford signed the bill that restored Lee's citizenship in 1975, Ford stated, "General Lee's character has been an example to succeeding generations, making the restoration of his citizenship an event in which every American can take pride."