Who Killed Lincoln?

President Lincoln
President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth.
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Sources

  1. https://www.nps.gov/ford/learn/historyculture/john-wilkes-booth.htm
    The National Park Service provides authoritative information on John Wilkes Booth, including his background, acting career, and role in Lincoln's assassination, directly relevant to the blog post.
  2. https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/john-wilkes-booth
    History.com offers a comprehensive overview of John Wilkes Booth's life, his motivations for assassinating Lincoln, and the aftermath, which aligns with the blog post's content.
  3. https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/john-wilkes-booth
    Biography.com provides detailed biographical information on John Wilkes Booth, including his early life, acting career, and the assassination plot, supporting the blog post's claims.
  4. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021669453/
    The Library of Congress offers primary sources and historical documents related to John Wilkes Booth and Lincoln's assassination, providing authoritative backing for the blog post.
  5. https://www.fords.org/lincolns-assassination/john-wilkes-booth/
    Ford's Theatre, the site of Lincoln's assassination, provides detailed historical context about John Wilkes Booth and the events surrounding the assassination, directly relevant to the blog post.

Key Points

  • Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C., in 1865.
  • John Wilkes Booth was born in Maryland in 1838 to a family of actors and was known for his athleticism and charisma.
  • Booth had a successful but controversial acting career, with mixed critical reception but significant popularity.
  • Booth was a staunch Confederate sympathizer and opposed Lincoln's presidency and the abolitionist movement.
  • Initially, Booth planned to kidnap Lincoln to aid the Confederacy but later changed his plan to assassination after the South's surrender.
  • Booth assassinated Lincoln on April 14, 1865, and declared 'Sic semper tyrannis' ('Thus always to tyrants') during the act.
  • Booth fled but was eventually cornered and killed by Union soldiers on April 26, 1865.
  • Booth's actions had a profound impact on American history, altering the post-Civil War trajectory of the United States.
  • There is speculation about Booth's possible ties to the Confederate Secret Service, though no definitive evidence has been found.
  • Booth's assassination of Lincoln was part of a broader, albeit unsuccessful, plot to destabilize the Union government by also targeting other leaders.

Summary

John Wilkes Booth, a famous actor and Confederate sympathizer, assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theater in 1865, aiming to destabilize the Union government after the Civil War. Born into a theatrical family, Booth was initially known for his acting career but became consumed by his opposition to Lincoln and the Union, leading him to plot first a kidnapping and then the assassination. After killing Lincoln, Booth fled but was later cornered and killed by Union soldiers, leaving a lasting impact on American history.

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was famously assassinated in the final weeks of the Civil War while attending a play at Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C. Lincoln is undeniably a towering figure in American history, but the story behind the man who shot him is not as widely known. John Wilkes Booth was the man who killed Lincoln, and because of what he did is also a noteworthy individual in the history of the United States worthy of being understood.

Booth’s Origins

John Wilkes Booth was born on May 10, 1838, at a farm near Bel Air, Maryland, which his parents had purchased after they moved from England to the United States. His father was Junius Brutus Booth, a Shakespearean actor, and his mother was Mary Ann Holmes, his father’s mistress. Once his father was legally divorced by his wife, Booth’s parents wed in 1851.

Painting of Abraham Lincoln
Booth will be forever remembered as the man who killed Abraham Lincoln.

Booth grew up in Maryland and attended school there. Athletic and popular, he wasn’t inclined to put much effort into his studies.

An interesting event in his early life occurred when he had a Romani fortune-teller read his palm. The prediction was morbid: he was told he would have a grand life but was doomed to die young and would meet a bad end. Booth wrote the fortune teller’s prediction down and occasionally showed it to family and friends.

Career as an Actor

In late summer 1855, John Wilkes Booth made his debut as an actor at age 17. The initial reception was reportedly poor – audience members heckled him when he missed some of his lines. Nonetheless, he persevered. He was from a family of thespians, and they all tended to support one another on the stage.

Booth was noted for being a very physical actor on stage, often doing acrobatic leaps and grand dramatic gestures. His charisma and good looks caused him to be immensely popular throughout his career.

Critical reception to his acting was generally mixed. Some claimed he was incredibly handsome, had an excellent memory, and was naturally talented at the art, while other critics were nonplussed in their assessment.

Life During the Civil War

John Wilkes Booth was staunchly opposed to the abolitionist movement and decried Abraham Lincoln’s election and later re-election to the presidency. Such was his opposition that he even acted as a vigilante guard at the execution of prominent abolitionist John Brown to thwart any possible rescue attempts.

US Civil
Booth regretted not join the Confederate cause during the Civil War.

Booth remained a popular actor in the 1860s and continued to perform at venues in both the North and the South throughout the American Civil War. In St. Louis, Missouri, during a tour, he was arrested for treasonous remarks against the United States government after proclaiming he “wished the President and the whole damned government would go to hell.” After paying a large fine and swearing allegiance to the Union, he was released.

In February 1865, just two months before the Lincoln assassination, he became engaged to Lucy Lambert Hale with his mother’s blessing. Hale reportedly did not know how deep Booth’s anger at President Lincoln ran.

Initial Plot To Kidnap Lincoln

As the 1864 presidential election approached and the South was steadily losing the Civil War, Booth’s anger at President Lincoln grew. As a Confederate sympathizer, he lamented the fact that he had not signed up to fight as a soldier for the Confederacy after promising his mother at the start of the war that he wouldn’t.

Drawing of Lincoln Assassination
John Booth at the theatre planning the assassination of Abraham Lincoln

He began hatching a plot to kidnap Lincoln from Washington DC and smuggle him across the Potomac River into Virginia. There he planned to turn the president over to the Confederates and bring an end to the war as well as exchange Lincoln for Confederate prisoners.

Some historians believe Booth did work for the Confederate Secret Service as a spy, though this has not been definitively proven. No conclusive evidence has been found that the kidnapping plot or later assassination were linked to the Confederate government either.

The Assassination at Ford’s Theater

When Booth heard the official reports on April 12, 1865, that Confederate General Robert E Lee had surrendered at Appomattox Court House, he knew his plan to kidnap the president was no longer feasible, so he changed his intentions to assassination.

Statue of General Robert E. Lee
The surrender of General Robert E. Lee prompted Booth to alter his plans.

On April 14, 1865, Booth learned that the President and his wife Mary Lincoln would be attending the performance of Our American Cousin that evening at Ford’s Theater, and he began setting up plans for the Lincoln assassination. He arranged a horse and an escape route and for other Confederate sympathizers to kill Secretary of State William H. Seward and Vice President Andrew Johnson, though neither followed through. By assassinating President Abraham Lincoln and his successors to office, he seems to have intended to throw the Union government into chaos and give the Confederate government a chance to rally.

As a popular and famous actor, Booth was able to freely access the theater to plan and carry out the assassination. During the play, he snuck into the box where the Lincolns sat and shot President Lincoln in the back of the head. Jumping down onto the stage, he declared, “Sic semper tyrannis,” which is Latin for “Thus always to tyrants” and is attributed to the assassination of Julius Caesar.

Manhunt and the Final Showdown

John Wilkes Booth fled south into rural Virginia on horseback with his co-conspirator David Herold after killing Lincoln. A massive manhunt for the assassin ensued, with orders explicitly saying to capture Booth alive. Booth was said to have broken his leg when he jumped onto the stage at the theater, but in reality, it is more likely he was injured during his flight.

On April 26, soldiers searching for the man who killed Lincoln finally caught up with the fugitives at the farm of the Garrett family just outside of Port Royal, Virginia. David Herold surrendered, but Booth refused, and in an attempt to draw him out, the troops set the barn ablaze. During the standoff, John Wilkes Booth was shot and killed by Sergeant Boston Corbett, who claimed Booth had raised his pistol to fire.

The question of who killed Lincoln has more depth than most people typically imagine. Booth did not live long after he assassinated Lincoln, and he was never put on trial for what he did. But his actions left an indelible mark on American history and altered the course the country would take as it emerged from the Civil War.

Who Killed Lincoln? Quiz

Where was Abraham Lincoln assassinated?
Who was the 16th President of the United States?
Where was Booth born?
What event prompted Booth to change his plan from kidnapping to assassination?
What was Booth's initial plan regarding Lincoln?
What was the name of the play Lincoln was watching when he was assassinated?
Who shot and killed John Wilkes Booth?
What phrase did Booth shout after shooting Lincoln?
What was Booth's stance on the abolitionist movement?
What was John Wilkes Booth's profession?

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was John Wilkes Booth and why is he significant in American history?

John Wilkes Booth was the assassin who killed Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, on April 14, 1865, at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C. He is significant in American history for his role in altering the course of the nation during the final weeks of the Civil War.

What was Booth's background before he assassinated Lincoln?

John Wilkes Booth was born on May 10, 1838, in Maryland to a family of actors. He became a popular and charismatic stage actor, known for his physical performances. Booth was also a staunch Confederate sympathizer and opposed Lincoln's presidency and the abolitionist movement.

What was Booth's original plan regarding Lincoln before the assassination?

Booth initially planned to kidnap President Lincoln and smuggle him into Virginia to exchange him for Confederate prisoners. However, after General Robert E. Lee's surrender, Booth changed his plan to assassination, aiming to throw the Union government into chaos.

How did Booth carry out the assassination of Abraham Lincoln?

On April 14, 1865, Booth, leveraging his fame as an actor, gained access to Ford's Theater where Lincoln was attending a play. He shot Lincoln in the back of the head, then jumped onto the stage, shouting 'Sic semper tyrannis' ('Thus always to tyrants') before fleeing.

What happened to John Wilkes Booth after he assassinated Lincoln?

Booth fled to Virginia but was tracked down by Union soldiers. After a standoff at a farm, he was shot and killed by Sergeant Boston Corbett on April 26, 1865, during an attempt to capture him alive.

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