George Atzerodt's Assassination Argumentative Essay

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Argument Essay Myah Dressler Do you think that George Atzerodt’s punishment was fair for his part in Lincoln's assassination? Some people might say yes and others might no. George Atzerodt was a co-conspirator of John Wilkes Booth, but he did not influence Booth at all. Atzerodt was sentenced to death by hanging just for being connect to Booth. Therefore, George Atzerodt’s punishment outweighed his role in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Even though George atzerodt did not carry out his assignment, he wasn’t even assigned to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. “Atzerodt’s assignment was to assassinate the vice president in his room at the Kirkwood house. ‘You must kill Johnson,’ Booth told him,” is what James L. Swanson said in his book, Chasing Lincoln’s Killer on page 27. Swanson also states Atzerodt went drink at the lobby of the Kirkwood House and did not go up to Vice President Johnson’s room to carry out his mission. After thinking, Atzerodt left the bar and rode away. SO, yes,, George Atzerodt was somewhat involved with the assassination of Lincoln, but he was not in charge of killing Lincoln. Also, Atzerodt …show more content…

Swanson states, “Atzerodt confessed all, The man questioning him did not even have to apply pressure,’ on page 143. Swanson continues to say that Atzerodt admitted knowing many details about Booth’s kidnapping plot. Atzerodt also told the man about the plot to kill Lincoln. He was well implicated other conspirators and their final meeting on the night of April 14. The interrogator did not have to pressure Atzerodt hardly at all because he simply wanted to get everything off his chest and hopefully be out of trouble. Atzerodt clearly gave himself up because he knew he had done a little wrong but he was hoping that since he confessed, the calvary wouldn’t press harsh charges. At that point, he just wanted to be set free of his wrongdoings, such as being a conspirator of J.K.

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