john w booth Essay

When John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln, it was a life changing event for the whole country. It took many days for the country to know that Abraham Lincoln had been assassinated. Then, everyone wanted to know why. Why did John Wilkes Booth assassinate Lincoln? Did he do it to be evil or did it for a specific reason? The fact that John Wilkes Booth assassinated Lincoln was unexpected. He was a famous actor that had no criminal background. Nobody had any clue why he chose to do what he did, or did they? There were many motivating factors of why John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln, and many people knew about it.

‘Kill me,’ he begged the soldiers. ‘Kill me, kill me!’ ‘We don’t want to kill you,’ Conger reassured him, ‘we want you to get well’” (175). The significance of this quote is the fact the United States wanted Booth to get well, because they wanted to make him a prize for the long 12-day manhunt. The 12-day manhunt took a lot of the man power as they searched around for Booth and they were satisfied in getting him. The soldiers wanted to take him in as prisoner and let the court deal with him and give him a punishment that would satisfy the whole nation. Although this was what was wanted from Booth, Boston Corbett had shot him nevertheless thinking he was going to shoot another individual. In addition, another important thing that one should understand is that Booth did not thoroughly think of any backup plans for his escape, his group, Atzerodt, Powell, Herold, and Booth just had one way to get away. Although this may have been the fact only Herold and Booth had successfully followed the path. Atzerodt and Powell had to find a different way in getting away due to the circumstances they were

He was born into a family of famous actors. His father was Junius Brutus Booth and his brother was Edwin Booth. John was also one of the most popular actors from the South during this time. The main reason behind his planning of the assassination was his hatred of Lincoln. Booth wanted slavery and was with the South in the war. He also thought that Lincoln was responsible for the war. He first planned to kidnap Lincoln, and trade him for the captured Confederate soldiers. Booth decided to change the plan when the Confederate army surrendered. Booth and his conspirators planned to kill Lincoln, Vice President Andrew Jackson, General Ulysses S. Grant, and Secretary of State William H. Seward. They only managed to kill Lincoln.

Most Americans know John Wilkes Booth as the assassin of Abraham Lincoln- shot at a play at Ford’s Theater on April 14th, 1865. However, the names of the conspirators that surrounded Wilkes Booth are relatively unknown, especially that of Mary Surratt. Mary Surratt, a mother and boardinghouse proprietor, was arrested and tried for the assassination of Abraham Lincoln along with her son, John Surratt. Pleas from her family, lawyer, and fellow conspirators did not allow her to escape her fate, and she was hanged for her crimes on July 7th, 1865. Even from the scaffold, Lewis Powell, another conspirator condemned to die, cried, “Mrs. Surratt is innocent. She doesn't deserve to die with the rest of us.” So who was this woman, and most

John Wilkes Booth may think that he did the right thing for the southerner, however people from the north had different point of views and by that misfortune called him out for what he has done. The Chasing Lincoln's Killer, by James L. Swanson stated the quest of what John Wilkes Booth received and the task that he needs to be done is not a easy nor an impossible job, but the outcome of the event will be macabre. Although John Wilkes Booth is doing the greater good for the south, the assassination that John Wilkes Booth did will not be forgotten. Consequently, the assassination is what some people would hoped for.

In fact, a fellow actor and roommate noted that Booth “would pace the floor in worry over his failure, crying, ‘I must have fame! Fame!’” (Samples 20). Booth made his first stage appearance at the age of 17 in August of 1855 as the Earl of Richmond in Shakespeare’s Richard III. Booth joined the Richmond Theatre in 1858, and his career skyrocketed in 1860, with his salary being $20,000 a year. Booth’s career was notable, and he played many successful roles in Romeo and Juliet, The Apostate, The Marble Heart, The Merchant of Venice, Julius Caesar, Othello, The Taming of the Shrew, Hamlet, and Macbeth. However, he never reached the high level of success that his father or brother Edwin

Everyone knows that John Wilkes Booth was the man who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln, but not everyone knows John Wilkes Booth’s take on it. Like Why did he do it? Who were his accomplices? What happened after he did it? Well that is was this paper is about.

April 15, 1865 was a highly anticipated evening at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. President Abraham Lincoln, along with Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William Seward were scheduled to attend a showing of Our American Cousin. This enjoyable gathering soon turned to tragedy for the American leaders. In the middle of the performance, shots were fired and blood was shed while the unassuming audience sat oblivious to the events unfolding. John Wilkes Booth executed his scheme to assassinate President Lincoln, one of the most important and influential men in American history, who inspired the masses with his unexpected rise to power.

They had hoped that with the capture of the president that the Union would release captured Confederate soldiers in exchange for the safe return of the president back to the Union (law2.umkc.edu). Though his plan was ultimately foiled with General Robert E. Lee’s surrender (law2.umkc.edu). At which point it became clear to Booth that the only way to avenge the South was to murder the president (law2.umkc.edu).

John Wilkes Booth had a very mischievous plan to kill the president. It was sneaky and skillfully arranged.

Booth's interest in deaf issues was very personal since he himself had lost all of his hearing by the

John Wilkes Booth, born May 10, 1838, was an actor who performed throughout the country in many plays. He was the lead in some of William Shakespeare's most famous works. Additionally, he was a racist and Southern sympathizer during the Civil War. He hated Abraham Lincoln who represented everything Booth was against. Booth blamed Lincoln for all the South's ills. He wanted revenge.

I wanted him to die knowing what he did was wrong, knowing that he killed one of the greatest presidents America has ever known. Instead Booth sneaks away spending some time in Forests and slowly moving further south, if it weren’t for a couple of encounters he had he would have easily gotten away untouched, and who knows he may have never been brought to justice. His death to me was unsatisfying. He and his co-conspirator David Herold were found sleeping in a barn Close to Virginia. Almost 60 miles from Fords theatre. Herold surrendered and they burned the barn and shot Booth paralyzing him. He died almost three hours later. In my opinion he should have been hanged in front of all the American people, that way he knew what he did hurt this great nation more than he would ever know.

While Booth and Lincoln did not know one another, Lincoln did think about Booth and appreciated watching him perform at Ford's Theater.

On the 14th of April 1865 Abraham Lincoln entered Forge theatre alongside his wife, a young army officer (Rathbone) and the officers Fiancé. Forge theatre was holding a comedy act called “Our American.” During the act a well-known stage actor John Wilkes Booth entered the presidents box with a handgun and a dagger, he shot the 16th president of the US Abraham Lincoln in the back of the head, Rathbone went to stop Booth but he got stabbed in the shoulder and fell down next to Abraham while Booth leaped of the building breaking his leg in the fall. Booth limped towards his horse and escaped on horseback.