Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln assassination.jpg The assassination of President Lincoln: The scene in Ford's Theatre

The assassination of Abraham Lincoln was a pivotal event in American history, occurring on the evening of April 14, 1865, when John Wilkes Booth, a well-known actor and Confederate sympathizer, fatally shot President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C.. Lincoln died the following day, on April 15, becoming the first American president to be assassinated.

Background

Main article: Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. His presidency was marked by the American Civil War, a conflict between the Northern states (the Union) and the Southern states that seceded to form the Confederate States of America. Lincoln's leadership during the war and his efforts to abolish slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment were significant.

The Conspiracy

Main article: John Wilkes Booth

John Wilkes Booth was a famous actor and a staunch supporter of the Confederacy. He vehemently opposed Lincoln's policies and the abolition of slavery. Booth initially planned to kidnap Lincoln and exchange him for Confederate prisoners of war, but after the fall of Richmond and the surrender of Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House, he resolved to assassinate the President.

Booth's plot included the assassination of other key government officials, including Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William H. Seward, in an attempt to destabilize the Union government.

The Assassination

On the night of April 14, 1865, Lincoln attended a performance of the play Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre. Booth, familiar with the theatre's layout, entered the presidential box and shot Lincoln in the back of the head with a Derringer pistol.

After shooting Lincoln, Booth leapt onto the stage, reportedly shouting "Sic semper tyrannis" ("Thus always to tyrants"), the motto of Virginia. Despite breaking his leg in the fall, Booth managed to escape the theatre.

Aftermath

Lincoln was carried across the street to the Petersen House, where he remained in a coma for several hours before succumbing to his injuries at 7:22 a.m. on April 15, 1865. His death was met with widespread mourning across the nation.

Booth fled on horseback and was pursued by Union soldiers. He was eventually cornered and killed at a farm in Virginia on April 26, 1865.

Legacy

The assassination of Abraham Lincoln had profound effects on the United States. It plunged the nation into a period of mourning and uncertainty during the Reconstruction era. Lincoln's death also elevated his status as a martyr for the cause of liberty and union.

See also

• Reconstruction era of the United States
• American Civil War
• Presidency of Abraham Lincoln

References

• Goodwin, Doris Kearns. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. Simon & Schuster, 2005.
• O'Reilly, Bill, and Martin Dugard. Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever. Henry Holt and Co., 2011.

External links

• Ford's Theatre National Historic Site
• Lincoln Home National Historic Site