Nearing the end of his tenure as President, George W. Bush granted several pardons on Nov. 24 — including that of Grammy-Award-winning rapper John Forte. TIME takes a look at some of the most controversial pardons of past presidencies
THE GIFT OF FREEDOM
Whiskey Rebels, 1794
He still has several weeks left in his term but with a pardon list so far made up of generic tax evaders and people charged with drug crimes (the most recent and well-known being a not so well-known rapper), President George W. Bush pales in comparison to other U.S. leaders. Previous presidents have granted clemency to everyone from draft-dodgers to confederate citizens to, well, their predecessor.
In an event that would lead to the first pardon in U.S. history, Congress enacted a steep tax on spirits in 1791 to help pay down the national debt, and hard-hit small producers protested by taking to the streets in western Pennsylvania. They quickly formed a multi-state armed rebellion and President George Washington called in 13,000 troops to quell the opposition. Intent on emphasizing federalist power, the government charged the whiskey rebel leaders with treason against the U.S., although many were released due to a lack of evidence.
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