Abraham Lincoln's Assassination

On April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth while at Ford’s Theatre. This is a widely known fact, but many facts leading up to his assassination are not commonly known. Why was he assassinated? What was the plan? What was really suppose to happen that dreadful night? How did Booth get away? What happened to Booth? All of these questions have answers. The political execution of Lincoln was a fully developed and planned out scheme.

Chasing Lincoln’s Killer took place in mainly Washington but later took place in Maryland and Virginia, while Booth and his accomplices were on the run. President Abraham Lincoln was the leader of the Union and strongly believed in equality and disproved of slavery. Lincoln was Booth’s main enemy because Booth was a strong Confederate from the South and approved and promoted slavery. John Wilkes Booth was famous even before he killed Lincoln because he was an astounding actor.

The Civil War broke out over the debating concept if slavery should be allowed. The Union separated into the North, the Union, and into the South, the Confederacy. John Wilkes Booth was a strong Confederate and despised Lincoln with a passion. The original plan was to kidnap Lincoln during the war and hold him hostage until the Union surrendered. The kidnapping plan was made on March 17, 1865. Booth and his minions would attack Lincoln’s carriage on a deserted rode while on his way home to the Executive House (24). However, Booth’s inside information was incorrect and Lincoln did not travel home that way. Booth wanted to try again, however eighteen days later the Confederate’s capital, Richmond, was captured and General Lee surrendered (26). Only two days after General Lee surrendering, Lin...

... middle of paper ...

...re still some Confederate soldiers in the South. I also realized that not only the president was suppose to be murder, but also the Vice President and Secretary of State. There was a greater extent to what was put into the plot than I realized.

This book would be a good way for other students to learn about this time period. Chasing Lincoln’s Killer explains everything with great detail, from the end of the Civil War to the killing of Booth and his partners in crime. The book did not trail on forever and become boring. James L. Swanson, the author, made the topic of Lincoln and Booth very interesting and easy to follow. The book also includes some visuals of newspapers, posters, and pictures of people. These visuals gave a better understanding of the characters and places.

Works Cited

Swanson, James L. Chasing Lincoln's Killer. New York: Scholastic, 2009. Print.