December 3, 1867: Third Annual Message to Congress | Miller Center
Eric Foner called this annual message of Andrew Johnson "perhaps the most blatantly racist pronouncement ever to appear on an official state document"
it must be acknowledged that in the progress of nations Negroes have shown less capacity for government than any other race of people. No independent government of any form has ever been successful in their hands. On the contrary, wherever they have been left to their own devices they have shown a constant tendency to relapse into barbarism.
![[December 25, 1868.- Granting full pardon and amnesty to all persons engaged in the late rebellion.] By the President of the United States of America. A proclamation ... Done at the City of Washington, the twenty-fifth day of December, in the ye | Library](https://rdl.ink/render/http%3A%2F%2Ftile.loc.gov%2Fstorage-services%2Fservice%2Frbc%2Frbpe%2Frbpe23%2Frbpe236%2F23602600%2F001dr.jpg?width=92&height=&ar=&mode=&dpr=2)