several proclamations issued during and after the civil war by presidents abraham lincoln and andrew johnson offered pardons to certain classes of confederate citizens until. the amnesty act of may 22, 1872 was a united states federal law which reversed most of the penalties imposed on former confederates by the fourteenth amendment. the amnesty act of 1872 is a united states federal law passed on may 22, 1872, which removed most of the penalties imposed on former confederates by the fourteenth. the general amnesty act of 1872: A note by james a. Rawley on mayt 22, 1872, congress passed the reconstruction measure known as the general amnesty act.
