On this day in 1862, Noah Swayne was confirmed by the Senate to replace Justice John McLean, one of two dissenters in the Dred Scott decision along with Benjamin Roberts Curtis.

On this day in 1978, President Jimmy Carter officially restored the full citizenship rights of former Confederate president Jefferson Davis, signing an act from Congress that ended a century-long dispute.

Accusations of treason are a serious matter in the public arena, but history shows few examples of charges followed by convictions in legitimate treason cases.