1865 murder of the 16th President of the United States to counter the emancipation of African American slaves
Factsheet
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln Part of the conclusion of the American Civil War
Location Ford's Theatre, Washington, D.C., U.S.
Date April 14, 1865; 160 years ago (1865-04-14)
10:15 pm
10:15 pm
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln Part of the conclusion of the American Civil War
Location Ford's Theatre, Washington, D.C., U.S.
Date April 14, 1865; 160 years ago (1865-04-14)
10:15 pm
10:15 pm
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Assassination_of_Abraham_Lincoln
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln - Wikipedia
4 days ago - With Union victory imminent, Booth and his conspirators, including Lewis Powell, David Herold, and George Atzerodt, originally plotted to kidnap Lincoln to aid the Confederacy. After that plan failed to materialize, they decided to assassinate him, Secretary of State William H. Seward, and ...
Reddit
reddit.com › r/civilwar › what was booth motive for the assassination of lincoln?
r/CIVILWAR on Reddit: What was Booth Motive for the Assassination of Lincoln?
April 29, 2025 -
It does not seem rational to believe that his motive was to avenge the south. The war was pretty much over by the time and to kill the one man that wanted to reconcile peacefully just seems dumb. As it is portrayed in media I think deep down he was Jealous of his brother and his father and wanted to be more famous which seems to be the rational motive and avenging the south was just an excuse
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It was revenge for the South losing. This wasn't a spur of the moment decision. It was a conspiracy that had morphed over the years from providing intel to a kidnap plot to an attempted assassination of the entire United States leadership. The level of support was always correlated to how well the CSA was holding its own.
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Booth was a staunch confederate sympathizer and he thought Lincoln’s death could provide a way for the south to still win the war. Lincoln also wasn’t the only planned target, it was a fairly large conspiracy. Secretary of State Seward and Vice President Johnson were also supposed to be assassinated and Grant could have been another possible target. It was an attempt to disrupt the power structure in the north and give the south a chance to succeed.
What was Booth Motive for the Assassination of Lincoln?
Booth was a staunch confederate sympathizer and he thought Lincoln’s death could provide a way for the south to still win the war. Lincoln also wasn’t the only planned target, it was a fairly large conspiracy. Secretary of State Seward and Vice President Johnson were also supposed to be assassinated and Grant could have been another possible target. It was an attempt to disrupt the power structure in the north and give the south a chance to succeed. More on reddit.com
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April 29, 2025Why did John Wilkes Booth assassinate Lincoln at a point during the American Civil War when the South had essentially already been defeated?
Well, he actually had a profound impact on the direction of the country, in a sense he kind of won. After Lincoln gave a speech advocating for the rights of citizenship for black Americans, chiefly the right to vote, Booth decided he would kill Lincoln. Lincoln's death led to Andrew Johnson's presidency, the goal of which was, to prevent nearly all reconstruction efforts. So egregiously in fact, he was our first president to be impeached. Even if he didn't live to see it, Booth set race relations in this country back quite a bit. More on reddit.com
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July 30, 2023TIL John Wilkes Booth initially didn't plan to assassinate President Lincoln. The original plot involved 7 conspirators kidnapping him and taking him to the confederate capital of Richmond, VA
Summary: He thought Lincoln could be used as a tool to force the North to negotiate for recognition of the South as he honestly believed a conspiracy theory that Lincoln wanted to make himself King of America. He believed Lincoln was planning to destroy democracy and he was protecting liberty and freedom. He also did not, under any pretext, want black Americans to be free and/or equal to whites under the law. Once Lee lost and surrendered unconditionally to Grant at Appomattox he then changed his plan to assassination form kidnapping.
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December 31, 2020Did John Wilkes Booth kill Lincoln because Lincoln became a zombie?
Is this some new Lost Cause bullshit?
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August 26, 2021How did John Wilkes Booth die?
John Wilkes Booth fled after shooting U.S. Pres. Abraham Lincoln. During the massive manhunt he was discovered by Federal troops while hiding in the barn of a Virginia farm. After being shot, either by a soldier or by himself, Booth was carried to the farmhouse porch, where he subsequently died, though rumours persisted that the man killed was not Booth.
britannica.com
britannica.com › entertainment & pop culture › actors
John Wilkes Booth | Conspiracy, Siblings, Death, & Facts | Britannica
Where was Abraham Lincoln assassinated?
The assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, took place at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., on the evening of April 14, 1865. Lincoln died the next morning on April 15.
britannica.com
britannica.com › politics, law & government › law, crime & punishment › crime & anti-crime
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln | Summary, Conspirators, Trial, ...
What did John Wilkes Booth believe in?
John Wilkes Booth was a vigorous supporter of the Southern cause. He was outspoken in his advocacy of slavery and his hatred of U.S. Pres. Abraham Lincoln. He was a volunteer in the Richmond militia that hanged the abolitionist John Brown after Brown’s Harpers Ferry Raid in 1859.
britannica.com
britannica.com › entertainment & pop culture › actors
John Wilkes Booth | Conspiracy, Siblings, Death, & Facts | Britannica
Videos
01:18:23
John Wilkes Booth & The Abraham Lincoln Assassination - YouTube
03:49
The Conspirators Behind the Plot to Kill President Lincoln - YouTube
00:43
The Motives Behind Lincoln's Assassination #shorts #history - YouTube
04:22
Why Did John Wilkes Booth Assassinate President Lincoln? - ...
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The Untold Story Behind Lincoln's Assassination ⚔️💔 - YouTube
Ford's Theatre
fords.org › lincolns-assassination › investigating-the-assassination
Investigating the Assassination — Ford's Theatre
At some point, possibly after Lincoln endorsed limited African-American voting rights during a speech on April 11, 1865, Booth’s plan changed from kidnapping to assassination. He and other conspirators came up with a plan to kill the President, Vice President and Secretary of State on the same night. The conspirators believed their plan would throw the U.S. government into chaos, renewing the Confederacy’s ability to fight. How did ...
Indiana State Museum
indianamuseum.org › home › blog › why booth shot lincoln
Why Booth Shot Lincoln - Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites
September 15, 2025 - Booth had been part of a conspiracy ... no hope for the Confederacy, Booth “was so against the idea of equality, he so embraced white supremacy, that he thought it was grounds for killing Lincoln.” The Confederacy had touted ...
HistoryExtra
historyextra.com › home › period › victorian › why did john wilkes booth kill abraham lincoln? and how was he caught?
Why Did John Wilkes Booth Kill Abraham Lincoln? And How Was He Caught? The Real History Of Manhunt | HistoryExtra
October 10, 2024 - He had acted in that theatre – in fact, Lincoln had seen Booth on that stage in 1863 – so he knew his way around, and his celebrity status should help gain access to the presidential box. Killing the president was only part of the plan, though.
Encyclopedia Britannica
britannica.com › politics, law & government › law, crime & punishment › crime & anti-crime
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln | Summary, Conspirators, Trial, Impact, & Facts | Britannica
5 days ago - Rumours persisted that it was not Booth but another man thought to be him who was killed, but there is no acceptable evidence to support that notion. Eight “conspirators” were tried by a military commission for Lincoln’s murder (several of them had participated in the plot to kidnap Lincoln but were less clearly involved in the assassination attempt).
National Park Service
nps.gov › foth › learn › historyculture › faq-the-assassin.htm
FAQ The Assassin - Ford's Theatre National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)
November 24, 2024 - An official website of the United States government · Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States
Encyclopedia Britannica
britannica.com › entertainment & pop culture › actors
John Wilkes Booth | Conspiracy, Siblings, Death, & Facts | Britannica
October 27, 2025 - On the morning of April 14, 1865, Booth learned that the president was to attend an evening performance of the comedy Our American Cousin at Ford’s Theatre in the capital. Booth hurriedly assembled his band and assigned each member his task, including the murder of Secretary of State William Seward. He himself would kill Lincoln.
TeachingHistory.org
teachinghistory.org › history-content › ask-a-historian › 24242
Booth's Reason for Assassination | TeachingHistory.org
Booth appears to have plotted the murders in the belief that the simultaneous assassination of four top officials would throw the North and the Republican Party into chaos long enough for the Confederacy to reassemble itself. The other parts of Booth’s plan did not come to fruition.
USAHEC
ahec.armywarcollege.edu › exhibits › CivilWarImagery › edwards_Assassination.cfm
Lincoln's Assassination
As the war drew to a close with the fall of Richmond on April 3, 1865, and Lee's surrender at Appomattox on April 9, there were Southern sympathizers who believed that the Confederacy could be restored. John Wilkes Booth held that belief, and it was the motive behind his plot to murder President ...
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › John_Wilkes_Booth
John Wilkes Booth - Wikipedia
6 days ago - During the speech, Lincoln stated that he was in favor of granting suffrage to former slaves; infuriated, Booth vowed to kill him and allegedly declared that it would be the last speech that Lincoln would ever make.
Quora
quora.com › Why-did-John-Wilkes-Booth-assassinate-Lincoln-at-a-point-in-time-where-the-North-essentially-already-had-defeated-the-South-Was-he-insane-stupid-or-severely-misinformed-about-how-the-war-was-going
Why did John Wilkes Booth assassinate Lincoln at a point in time where the North essentially already had defeated the South? Was he insane, stupid, or severely misinformed about how the war was going? - Quora
Answer (1 of 44): I wouldn’t say that John Wilkes Booth was insane, stupid, or severely misinformed. He was outraged and desperate. Booth came from an extremely prominent family. His father Junius Booth was considered the finest Shakespearean actor of his generation.
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
gilderlehrman.org › history-resources › lesson-plan › what-events-led-lincoln’s-assassination
What Events Led to Lincoln’s Assassination? | Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
The fact that President Lincoln was shot while enjoying a show at Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865, leaves students wondering how it could have happened. A week earlier General Lee had surrendered to General Grant. The nation was finally looking forward to peace. Yet out of the shadows came Booth to kill the president, while one of his conspirators attempted to murder the secretary of state.
Boundary Stones
boundarystones.weta.org › 2018 › 03 › 02 › john-wilkes-booths-abduction-plot-gone-wrong
John Wilkes Booth's Abduction Plot Gone Wrong | Boundary Stones
December 30, 2021 - Originally, John Wilkes Booth's plan was not to kill President Lincoln. It was to abduct him and exchange him for Confederate prisoners.
Brainly
brainly.com › history › high school › why did actor john wilkes booth assassinate abraham lincoln?
[FREE] Why did actor John Wilkes Booth assassinate Abraham Lincoln? - brainly.com
May 19, 2023 - Booth's abhorrence for Lincoln's stance on civil rights for blacks, particularly the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment, fueled his decision to act. On the fatal evening of April 14, 1865, Lincoln attended a play at Ford's Theater, where ...
Constitution Center
constitutioncenter.org › blog › 10-facts-about-abraham-lincolns-assassination
10 facts about Abraham Lincoln’s assassination | Constitution Center
They were also aided by a former Confederate spy operative and by other Confederate sympathizers. Military forces were hot on their trail, and they found a person who directed them to a Virginia farm. At the Garrett Farm, Booth was fatally wounded, and Herold surrendered. 9. The original plan was to kidnap Lincoln, not kill him
Ford's Theatre
fords.org › lincolns-assassination
Lincoln’s Assassination — Ford's Theatre
Are you looking to teach the Lincoln assassination? Search lesson plans for topics related to Ford’s Theatre and Ford’s Theatre productions. Learn More · How did investigators learn what happened and why? Before John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865, he had been plotting some kind of drastic action for months.
Pearce Museum
pearcemuseum.com › education › seventh-grade-curriculum › facts-from-lincolns-assassination-and-death
Pearce Museum | Facts from Lincoln’s Assassination and Death
Booth had several co-conspirators on the night of the assassination to carry out his plan to destroy the leadership of Lincoln’s government, with a man named George Atzerodt sent to kill Vice President Andrew Johnson at his resident at the Kirkwood House hotel.
TheCollector
thecollector.com › abraham-lincoln-assassination-need-know
Abraham Lincoln's Assassination: Here’s Everything You Need to Know | TheCollector
September 5, 2024 - On April 9, the Confederates ... formerly enslaved men. Booth and Powell were in the crowd, and Booth became so emotionally charged that he ordered Powell to draw his gun and kill Lincoln on the spot....
Quora
quora.com › Why-was-John-Wilkes-Booth-the-killer-of-President-Lincoln-killed-on-the-spot-without-trial
Why was John Wilkes Booth, the killer of President Lincoln, killed on the spot without trial? - Quora
Answer (1 of 22): John Wilkes Booth was part of a conspiracy which sought to overthrow the Government of the United States. While their professed purpose was Anti-Abolition, their real intentions were quite clear: they wanted to end the Civil War with the South as the Winners as the mechanism of ...