Leia Surrovell, Sarah Akers, Ryan Ritter, Carah Ong Whaley, Ph.D.
On January 6, 2021, a joint session of the U.S. Congress met to certify the electoral votes from the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Some members of the House and Senate challenged the votes from several states. As the two chambers convened separately to consider the first of these challenges, rioters – encouraged by then-President Donald J. Trump who repeatedly and erroneously claimed that there was widespread election fraud – stormed the U.S. Capitol, overwhelmed police, broke into offices, destroyed property, and threatened the lives of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) and Vice President Mike Pence (R-Indiana).
Below is a timeline leading up to and after the January 6, 2021 insurrection that includes primary and secondary sources in order to better understand the consequences and the threats posed to American democracy.