An Explainer of Jan. 6 and Its Aftermath

It was a day of infamy. Worse than Pearl Harbor, 9/11, or even the Civil War, Americans were told. A bloody insurrection by a wild, ruthless, armed mob of election deniers. A coup d’etat. A revolution. That first Wednesday in January 2021, however, was none of the above. Yet Jan. 6 will forever be a prominent part of American history—in ways that few people fully realize. It was most certainly a fork in the road. Defining and understanding that historic day requires solid information, full context, and a willingness to look beyond the narratives that began before Jan. 6 was even a few hours old....