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.