John Wilkes Booth, American actor, assassin of Abraham Lincoln (b. 1838)

The night of April 14, 1865, remains etched in American history as a moment of profound national tragedy. It was on this evening, at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., that President Abraham Lincoln fell victim to an assassin's bullet. The perpetrator was John Wilkes Booth (May 10, 1838 – April 26, 1865), a well-known American stage actor whose actions plunged a nation, already weary from civil war, into even deeper mourning.

A Life on Stage, Driven by Ideology

Booth was no stranger to the public eye. Born into the esteemed Booth theatrical family of Maryland, which included his legendary actor father Junius Brutus Booth and renowned brother Edwin Booth, John Wilkes himself was a noted performer of his era. Yet beneath the stage persona lay a fervent Confederate sympathizer, deeply opposed to the Union cause and President Lincoln's leadership. He vocally denounced Lincoln and vehemently lamented the recent abolition of slavery, which he saw as a catastrophic blow to the Southern way of life and the nation's fabric. This ideology fueled his increasingly radical actions.

The Conspiracy: From Kidnapping to Assassination

Initially, Booth's desperate desire to aid the Confederacy manifested as a plot to kidnap President Lincoln. The idea was to abduct the President and hold him ransom, perhaps in exchange for Confederate prisoners or as a means to reinvigorate the Southern cause. However, as the tide of the war turned decisively against the Confederacy, particularly after General Robert E. Lee's surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia on April 9, 1865, Booth's plans escalated dramatically. Believing that the Civil War remained unresolved as General Joseph E. Johnston’s Confederate Army continued to fight, Booth and his small group of conspirators shifted their objective. They agreed to a more drastic, coordinated act: the assassination of not only President Lincoln, but also Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William H. Seward. Their hope was that by decapitating the Union government, they could sow chaos and allow the Confederacy a chance to rally.

The Fateful Night and Its Aftermath

On April 14, 1865, while President Lincoln was attending a performance of "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theatre, Booth made his move. Slipping into the presidential box undetected, he fired a single-shot derringer into the back of Lincoln's head. The shot proved fatal; President Lincoln succumbed to his wound the following morning, April 15, 1865, at the Petersen House across the street. Booth’s part of the elaborate plot was complete, yet the other objectives largely failed. Secretary Seward was indeed severely wounded in a brutal knife attack at his home by another conspirator, Lewis Powell, but he ultimately recovered. Vice President Johnson, the third target, was never attacked, as Booth's assigned assassin, George Atzerodt, lost his nerve.

The Manhunt and Booth's Demise

Immediately after the assassination, Booth leaped from the presidential box to the stage, reportedly shouting "Sic semper tyrannis!" (Thus always to tyrants!), though eyewitness accounts vary. He broke his leg in the fall but managed to escape the theatre and flee on horseback into Southern Maryland. Thus began one of the largest manhunts in American history. For twelve harrowing days, Booth, often accompanied by his accomplice David Herold, evaded capture, receiving aid from Confederate sympathizers along the way. The pursuit culminated on April 26, 1865, at Richard Garrett's farm in rural Northern Virginia. Authorities tracked Booth and Herold to a tobacco barn. When confronted, Herold surrendered, but Booth, defiant to the end, refused to come out. After a tense standoff, Union soldiers set the barn ablaze, hoping to flush him out. As the flames engulfed the structure, Sergeant Boston Corbett, a Union soldier, fired a shot that struck Booth in the neck, severing his spinal cord. Paralyzed, John Wilkes Booth died a few hours later, bringing an end to his dramatic and tragic life.

Justice for the Conspirators

In the wake of the assassination, a swift and determined effort was made to apprehend all involved. Of the eight conspirators eventually brought to justice and convicted for their roles in the plot, four were executed by hanging just a few months later on July 7, 1865, including Mary Surratt (the first woman executed by the U.S. federal government), Lewis Powell, David Herold, and George Atzerodt. Their swift punishment underscored the nation's grief and resolve in the face of such an unprecedented attack on its leadership.

Frequently Asked Questions About John Wilkes Booth and Lincoln's Assassination

What was John Wilkes Booth's primary motivation for assassinating President Lincoln?
Booth was a fervent Confederate sympathizer who deeply resented President Lincoln and the Union's victory in the Civil War. He vehemently opposed the abolition of slavery and believed that by eliminating Lincoln, he could revive the Confederate cause and sow chaos within the Union government.
Where and when did the assassination take place?
President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., on the night of April 14, 1865, while attending a play called "Our American Cousin." Lincoln died from his wound the following morning, April 15.
Who else was targeted in Booth's conspiracy?
The broader conspiracy intended to decapitate the Union government by also assassinating Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William H. Seward. While Seward was severely wounded in an attack, he ultimately recovered, and Johnson was never attacked as his assigned assassin lost his resolve.
How was John Wilkes Booth apprehended?
After a twelve-day manhunt, Booth was tracked down to a tobacco barn on Richard Garrett's farm in rural Northern Virginia. After a standoff where he refused to surrender, Union soldiers set the barn on fire. Sergeant Boston Corbett then fatally shot Booth in the neck, leading to his death a few hours later on April 26, 1865.
What happened to the other conspirators involved?
Eight conspirators were eventually tried and convicted for their roles in the plot. Four of them—Mary Surratt, Lewis Powell, David Herold, and George Atzerodt—were executed by hanging on July 7, 1865. The others received prison sentences, some of which were later commuted.