Ford's Theatre and the Assassination of Lincoln

Lincoln's Assassination at Ford's Theater

Washington, DC

The theater box where President Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth

   

Fords Theater is still standing today as a working theater and a museum to explore Abraham Lincoln's legacy. The theater was originally built in 1803 as a church, then bought by John T. Ford and made into a theater. When President Lincoln arrived, the theater was unfinished and was situated on the front lines of the Civil War. At this point, South Carolina had seceded. At the end of the war, Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant.  President Lincoln wanted to see a play, and to celebrate his success from the war. John Wilkes Booth was a passionate Confederate sympathizer and wanted to help the Confederacy. On April 11, Lincoln made a speech at the White House and had nothing prepared but the next day he had called them back and made a speech about how the country was going to reunite as a free country. He put out the idea that African American men that had fought in the war should be able to vote. John Wilkes Booth was in the crowd that night, and totally opposed that idea.

 Booth was determined to help the Confederacy and went to Ford's Theater to pick up mail, and found out that the president and guests were there to see a play. He realized this was his opportunity to help the Confederacy, and gathered a group of conspirators to assassinate President Lincoln and end the government. His plan was to send the government into chaos by decapitating three government officials. A government spy was hatching plans with the conspirators to assassinate government officials with help from his mother. David Herald also played a big role in the assassination. There was one day when he was commuting to the White House and there was a bullet hole in his hat, stating that there might have been a different assassination attempt. 

  John Wilkes Booth also tried a kidnapping attempt but it hadn't worked out in his favor. Lewis Powell had failed to assassinate his government official, as well as David Howell who had failed to assassinate his target. All of the conspirators were arrested soon after the assassination. All were sentenced to death and hanger on July 7 1865. John Serrat escaped then stood a civilian trial and they could not reach a verdict so he was sent free. John Wilkes Booth was also assassinated soon after the assassination of Lincoln. Lincoln was the first to be assassinated so there was no secret service if someone were to try and hurt him. Lincoln was a lot more accessible than our president is today. 

When John Wilkes Booth showed up to his theater and he could easily walked up to the booth Lincoln was sitting in because there had been no designated security. John Wilkes Booth had waited for the punchline of the show and knew the house was packed and would love the joke. (1700 people) The audience roared with laughter. Then, soon enough shot Lincoln. Lincoln's guest tried to stop Booth but got slashed with a knife. Then, Booth jumped off the balcony, and rode away on his horse. On April 26, soldiers captured John Wilkes Booth in a building that had caught fire and shot John Wilkes Booth in the neck. Among the last words John Wilkes Booth said, "Tell my mother I died for my country." He then asked to see his own hands and said "Useless, useless" A lot of the South had rejoiced that Lincoln had died.

Jennifer Epstein Interview at Lincoln Memorial

  On May 1st, 2018, we will interview Jennifer Epstein from the Lincoln Memorial discussing the Civil War issues, such as how the Union utilized the National Mall during the perilous war and about the construction of the Washington Monument. We also plan to converse over the conditions of our nation's capital during this time period and several other aspects of the Civil War.

Washington Monument

National Mall

May 1st : The Meeting with Mrs.Epstein

  Once we started of our interview, Mrs. Epstein informed us of how Lincoln Memorial and how it came to be. As Mrs. Epstein gave us background information of this memorial, she toured the place and gave us details. Lincoln Memorial was originally an empty lot, but after his death this memorial was built to commemorate this memorable leader. Many features at the Lincoln Memorial were built to capture bits of history, such as the American Flag placed on Lincoln's shoulders, and the thirty six pillars in honor of the thirty six Union states. 

   Our interviewers soon after began to inquire Mrs. Epstein about the Civil War and President Lincoln.  Since the area served as a base for Union soldiers, the area was constantly under attack.  Living in the area also proved to be difficult with harsh conditions.  For example, there was no air conditioning and animals freely roamed the area.  Not to mention, soldiers used slaughterhouses, which didn't help especially with the sweltering summer heat.  Also, what is now Constitution Avenue, there was a canal which people utilized as a trash disposal.  The waters became contaminated and caused many illnesses.  In fact, Lincoln may have contracted an illness from this canal.  

  Mrs. Epstein explained the outcome if Maryland seceded from the Union.  The Union depended upon Maryland to make the war as frictionless as possible for them.  Washington D.C. was often invaded, so Fort Stevens served as protection for the area.  Maryland also helped Washington D.C. since it was a border state that was very helpful and accessible.  

  We also learned about the construction of the Washington Monument from a behind-the-scenes perspective.  The tower, built in 1848, cost nearly one million dollars.  However, there wasn't enough money to fund to project so the construction eventually stopped.  Then, Mrs. Epstein displayed some of the other monuments.

  Mrs. Epstein showed us the components of the Lincoln Memorial, which was built in the late 1800s after Lincoln's tragic assassination.  There was heavy debate over what to use that patch of land for; some people opposed building a memorial to Lincoln near a swamp while others wanted to honor him along in the National Mall.  One thing she showed us was the Reflecting Pool, which reflects upon the past, which was built in the 1920s.  

  Many aspects of the Lincoln Memorial symbolize unity.  For example, the cloth over Lincoln's shoulders resembles the American flag, which represents all the states uniting into one powerful nation such as the United States of America.  Also, there's an angel conjoining the Union and the Confederacy as one superpower rather than leaving them as two separate territories.  

   The Lincoln Memorial was originally created to commemorate Unity, but at the dedication the crowd was segregated. Due to this the Lincoln Memorial never truly lived up to it's potential and meaning, until 1939, when an African American singer tried to perform here, but was denied due to her race. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was appalled once she realized this, and specially reserved the steps for her performance. This portrayed unity through the diversity of the audience who came to watch her sing about the magnitude of this time period.  

  Overall, we learned more about the National Mall and how the country united to become a strong, united front and the powerful origins of some parts of the Civil War.  We learned about various aspects of this location and who and what it represented.

  

Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass

April 30, 2018 - Background Information and Preparation: Tomorrow, we will be interviewing Virginia Hughes from the Frederick Douglas National Historic Site, which is located in Washington DC. She will talk about the life, favorable characteristics, and contributions to the Civil War and racial equality of Fredrick Douglass.
Fredrick Douglass was born into slavery in 1818. He was lucky enough that his mistress taught him how to read and write at such a young age. Later, he escaped from slavery with the help of Anna Murray, which would eventually be his future wife. While he was free, he became famous from his abolitionist speeches and auto-biographies. He continued to actively speak and advocate for racial equality and women's rights until his death in 1895.


May 1, 2018 - Interview Day: During the beginning of the interview, Ms. Hughes gave us a video tour of Douglass's house during his final years. Ms. Hughes explains the significance of Douglass during his time and many years later during the later stages of the Civil Rights Movement. Douglas moved in with his first wife, Anna. Then, when she died, Douglas remarried to a woman named Helen. Helen is a white woman and about 20 years younger than him, which remained a big deal during his time. He spent much of the time in his house writing his third autobiography and other various speeches. Many things that preside in his house today can relate to his position as an abolitionist and civil rights activist. Douglass moved in here at age 59 and continued to live in this house until his death at age 77. However, after his death Helen, his second wife, continued to set the example that her husband served.

The lack of documentation of Anna, Douglass's first wife, shows the contrast of the social construct back then: women were more seen as wives of men, rather than actual people.

Mrs. Hughes continues to explain the significance of portions of Douglass's life after touring through the house. Douglas escaped slavery by pretending to be a sailor but he was still technically a slave. When Douglas started giving speeches and writing autobiographies, his master came looking for him. It wasn't until other people purchased his freedom that he did not have to worry about being repatriated back to his former owner. Douglas was extremely passionate about abolition and he devoted his life to working so that slavery be abolished.

Perhaps the most interesting part in my opinion is that he actually went back to talk to the man who owned, beat, whipped, and enslaved him, after slavery is abolished and he could confront him without fear of reenslavement, only to make each other cry. It's just so interesting that he can talk to his former owner peacefully despite his former mistreatment and abuse.

Below here is a full outside view of his house:

Denton County: The Civil War and Texas Reconstruction (Dr. Treat)

On May 1st, our class will conduct an interview with the Dr. Treat. Our interview will cover the topic of the Civil War and Reconstruction of Denton County. Dr. Treat graduated with a PhD at Louisiana State University. He is currently a professor at the University of North Texas. His research interests range from rhetorical theory to constitutive rhetorics of postmodern civic identities.

Interview with Dr. Treat

Slavery in Denton County

Image of the Courthouse that was burned down

Slavery During Civil War

 Rural, not many slaves; little to 200. In the summer of 1860, the downtown Denton Square caught fire. Explosion happened in a very hot Sunday, and had the potential to burn down the whole town. There was a group of women in church service, and they controlled the fire. Letter from Father of Denton: It was the Denton ladies that saved the city of Denton. The ladies threw water in the fire but the fire was connected to another series of fires. Dallas had a fire as well. Rumors said the fires were started by slaves. The northern part of the state mostly supported seceding from the United States. Doctor Treat wrote an article explaining what really happened. He passed a law against talking about the fire in Fort Worth. This was the reason free speech was important. The only people left in the town when the Civil War was happening were old men and young boys. People around the age of 15 and over were required to fight in the war. Many native american tribes were being displaced and moved from their lands. By the time the Civil War was over, great damage was done. A lot of slaves were tortured and questioned and beaten to death. The laws were so strict in Texas that it was forbidden to teach a slave to read. The Southern route is what some slaves used to escape. There were records that slaves were escaping through Mexico. The Confederate army had officers station near there because some slaves would actually swim through the water. Today, there are still some towns that have black people that speak Spanish because of the routes that some slaves have taken. 

Cattle Drive

After the Civil Waar, the cattle were literally running around. At this point, cattle would be eaten by people. This contributed to the cattle drive. The railroads made it easier to move cattle around. Most of the slaves were cowboys and were hired to herd cattle. Some were very rich because they can build a "cattle empire". This, however, didn't last very long. Economy started getting better and there was some tension when they traveled across the states. The cattle could get "Texas Fever" and it was dangerous for cowboys to be near the cattle.

Quakertown

 Juneteenth, or emancipation by gunpoint; after the Civil War, the U.S wanted to free slaves. The U.S Navy showed up in Galveston and said it was free. The problem, however, is that they would not have any jobs. It was 10 years after the war that there was a lot of African Americans that migrated to Denton County. At this point, black schools were created. There was a movement in 1875 that Freedom Town turned into "Quakertown". They had Jim Crow laws so they created a separate city. They had doctors, meeting groups, grocery stores, dentists, shoe shops, etc. Quakertown's population grew until many were evicted in the 1920s. A lot of African Americans had nice homes and businesses, and they had to move to an area that was not good. They went from successful to starting over from scratch. The ones that were left behind were forced to rebuild everything. Fun fact: School was named after Frederick Douglass.

College of Industrial Arts

Really competitive. A lot of people tried to get in. The way that Denton got it was that people convinced that Denton was a really good place; it was near Quaker Town. Racism was common in this area.

Reconstruction in Texas

It was hard considering it was under dictatorship. By the time that ended, a Democrat was elected to office. Texas was able to get the economy back up. People, however, still fight and have misconceptions about the Civil War.

Purpose of the Frontier Federal Court

There were fights and disputes, especially over land and cattle. A lot of courts were set up to resolve cases like these. It was a really chaotic time. The reason Denton County Courthouse was made is because there was no city government. In all counties, the courthouses had to be located in a spot where people could travel to and from in one day's time. 

     

Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library

Springfield, Illinois

Today, we will be meeting with Genevieve Kaplan, who is from the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois. She is going to talk and answer questions about President Lincoln, Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address, and his first second Inaugural Addresses. Genevieve Kaplan
works in the library and museum and has worked there for many years.

The Interview

The Emancipation Proclamation was originally a military move to find more soldiers. It brought African Americans in to the picture where they could serve in the war. 

Why didn't they let slaves fight until the last part of the war?

It was not a welcomed idea at the beginning of the war but people got used to it since it increased the number of troops for the Union. It gave the former slaves a motivation to fight against their former owners.

What else should we know about President Lincoln?

He loved technology, and he was a major "techie." He went to many of the tests for technology they were going to use in war. He was a major adopter of the telegraph and wanted gassed hot air balloons to be used in the war. 

What artifacts do you have at the presidential library?

There are five different copies of the Gettysburg address, and the library has one. One of only three known top hats to exist is at the museum. A copy of the 13th amendment is also on display, as well as pieces of Lincoln's map that he had written on. 

What made the Gettysburg Address so special out of all of his speeches?

It honors many people who died fighting. It also honored the many people buried there and it motivated the Union to fight. 

Do you have any artifacts from his early life?

The library has his math book with many solved problems. Also, many early documents he worked on in his twenties. 

What is your favorite exhibit of the museum?

Each room has a different story. There is a life-sized log cabin that you can walk through. It has artifacts of Lincoln inside of it.

Reconstruction In Texas, An Interview With Mitchel Whitington

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{ Overview And Background Information }

In Mrs. Burge's class, we held an interview with Mitchel Whitington, covering the topic of Reconstruction in Texas.  Mr. Whitington is a resident of Jefferson, Texas, and a volunteer with the Jefferson Historic Musesum. He is also an American author who has written novels, as well as anthologies, with titles like, Ghosts of North Texas, Ghosts of East Texas, and A Ghost In My Suitcase, in his name. He also has a few more books not mentioned prior, like The Midnight Saint.

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The Interview

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{ Jefferson Area }

Jefferson Texas was one of the largest cities in the 1800s. Today it only has around 2,000 people living there. Jefferson had multiple ports during the Civil War, being an entry point to Texas, thus making it such a popular area. After the war, there was still unrest in Jefferson. Many skirmishes occurred as the North and South saw others as enemies. A new police force arose, Knights of The Rising Sun, which lasted around 2 or 3 years. Around half of the population were slaves. Many were put in prison due to concerns of safety as the group was extremely violent being comparable to groups like the KKK. After the war, many of the freed slaves remained in the area, or even with their previous owners; however they were now paid salaries or small wages.  Jefferson is also home to the Excelsior Hotel, claimed to be one of the most haunted hotels. Steven Spielberg was rumored to stay there and reportedly saw ghosts.

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{ Red River, Texas }

During the Civil War, there was a campaign dubbed the "Red River Campaign, which was a series of battles and skirmishes along the Red River. 

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U.S. History Civil War Tour

On May 1st students at Mckamy Middle School will take a Civil War video conference tour.  Our goal will be to video conference with experts from different sites associated with the Civil War.  We hope to discuss causes and effects of the U.S. Civil War, along with the Reconstruction period.  We will also speak with experts on how our local area of Denton County, and the state of Texas was involved and affected.