Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Before the Assassination

In the late summer of 1864, John Wilkes Booth (racist southern-supporter) and several other co-conspirators met at Mary Surratt’s boardinghouse to plan a kidnap of Abraham Lincoln. They wanted to kidnap him as ransom, in return for Southern prisoners of war. On March 17th, 1865, they planned to kidnap him while he was watching a play on the outskirts of Washington. However, Booth’s attempt failed when Lincoln changed his plans and stayed at the capital. On April 6th, 1865, the South surrendered at the Appomattox Courthouse. On April 8th, 1865, Lincoln made a speech about giving African Americans voting rights. Booth was outraged and switched his goal to assassination. When he learned that the president would be attending a play called Our American Cousin at the “Ford’s Theatre” that evening, he held one final meeting with his accomplices to kill Lincoln.

During the Assassination

Booth’s accomplice, Joseph Burroughs (who worked at the theater), held a horse for him at the back of the alley. Meanwhile, Lincoln, his wife, and two guests sat in the state box. Sometime during the play, Lincoln’s bodyguard (John Parker, a Metropolitan Police Force officer) left his post. While the President was caught off guard watching the play, Booth came into the state box at around 10:15P.M and shot Lincoln in the back of his head. Booth jumped down from the state box, as distance of eleven feet, and broke his a bone in his left leg near the ankle. It was thought that he yelled, “Sic Semper Tyrannis,” which was the motto of Virginia meaning “as always to tyrants.” Booth hurried out the back door and rode away on a horse across the Navy Yard Bridge and fled the city. He stayed in Mary Surratt’s boardinghouse for a short period of time to pick up his field glasses and supplies. At about 4:00 A.M, he arrived at Dr. Mudd’s house, where the doctor helped his leg. In Washington (capital), Lincoln passed away at 7:22 A.M on April 15th, 1865 at the Peterson House, a house across the theater. Dr. Charles Leale took care of him.

After the Assassination

Booth was caught by federal authorities near Port Royal, Virginia in the morning of April 26th, 1865. He was hiding in a barn and refused to come out. The authorities set the barn on fire. When he still didn’t get out, Sergeant Boston Corbett shot him. The rest of the co-conspirators were either hanged or sent to prison.