The Full Story Of Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination — And Why He Was Murdered

Abraham Lincoln was fatally shot by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865, rendering him paralyzed and unconscious until he died hours later on April 15th.

On April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln seemed to be in good spirits. The Civil War was ending, his son had just returned home from the army, and he and his wife Mary had plans to see a play that night. “We must both be more cheerful in the future,” Abraham told Mary. “Between the war and the loss of our darling [son] Willie, we have both been very miserable.” Sadly, Abraham Lincoln died just hours later when he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre.

The Lincoln assassination was one of the most dramatic days in American history. Orchestrated by Booth, a 26-year-old actor, the murder was about more than one man. Booth and his conspirators hoped to topple the Union government, and targeted Lincoln’s secretary of state, William Seward, as well as his vice president, Andrew Johnson.

Ultimately, however, only Booth would succeed in killing his victim. After sneaking into Ford’s Theatre that night, Booth hid in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike. As the audience roared with laughter, he stepped into the presidential box — and shot the president.

Here is everything you need to know about Abraham Lincoln’s death, from how the assassination was plotted, to how the murder unfolded, to how it irrevocably altered the course of American history.

When Was Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination?

Library of CongressThis photo of Abraham Lincoln, taken in February 1865, is often called the “last photograph of Lincoln from life.”

The assassination of Abraham Lincoln took place on April 14, 1865, at approximately 10:15 p.m. However, it took him hours to die.

Where Was Abraham Lincoln Assassinated?

Abraham Lincoln was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. He was attending a play with his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, and two of their friends, Henry Rathbone and Clara Harris. The four of them were sitting in the presidential box on the balcony level.

What Play Was Lincoln Watching When He Was Assassinated?

On the night of his assassination, Abraham Lincoln was watching the play Our American Cousin, an English comedy about an American who goes to England to claim an inheritance. Playbills printed that day announced that Abraham and Mary Lincoln would attend the show, though the couple was originally slated to attend with General Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia. Julia, who disliked Mary, refused to go.

Why Was Abraham Lincoln Assassinated?

Though the American Civil War was all but over by April 1865, tensions remained between the North and South, especially over the issue of slavery. And when the president gave his final speech on April 11, 1865, something Lincoln said outraged a member of his audience.

During the speech, Lincoln discussed the reconstruction of the nation and expressed his support for some Black suffrage, particularly for Black Americans who had served in the army. A young man in the crowd was listening closely, and he purportedly snapped to his companion:

“That means n***** citizenship! Now, by God, I’ll put him through. That is the last speech he will ever make.”

Public DomainJohn Wilkes Booth, the assassin who plotted the death of Abraham Lincoln.

The young man’s name was John Wilkes Booth.

Who Killed Abraham Lincoln?

John Wilkes Booth, Abraham Lincoln’s assassin, was already a well-known figure in his time. An actor from a family of actors — Booth’s brother, Edwin, and father, Junius, were famous in their own right — John Wilkes Booth had appeared frequently on stage in Washington, D.C. Even Abraham Lincoln had seen him perform, coincidentally also at Ford’s Theatre. Ironically, Lincoln was said to be a fan of Booth’s work.

A Confederate sympathizer, Booth had stayed out of the war only because his mother had begged him not to fight. Still, Booth allied himself with the Confederate cause, denounced the Lincoln administration, and surrounded himself with like-minded men.

Why Did John Wilkes Booth Kill Lincoln?

John Wilkes Booth wanted to do something to help the Confederacy, so, at first, he plotted to kidnap Abraham Lincoln. Booth believed that doing so could force the Union to release Confederate prisoners of war. But this plot — meant to take place in March 1865 — never happened.

Meanwhile, the Civil War was rapidly moving toward an end. On April 2nd, Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy, fell. On April 9th, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia. By April 12th, the infantry formally surrendered in a ceremony. The Confederacy was clearly collapsing.

Then, John Wilkes Booth learned that Abraham Lincoln would attend a performance of Our American Cousin at Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865. The president’s presence had been advertised, but Booth may have learned about it when he picked up his mail at Ford’s Theatre that day.

It seemed like the perfect opportunity. Booth knew Ford’s Theatre well, and his presence there would not strike anyone as suspicious. But John Wilkes Booth wanted to do more than just assassinate the president — he wanted to strike a fatal blow to the entire Union government.

Booth called upon men who he knew would be willing to help him.

Who Was Involved In The Assassination Of Abraham Lincoln?

The Lincoln assassination was not meant to be an attack on just one man, but a three-pronged attack on the Union government. John Wilkes Booth would target Abraham Lincoln, while his conspirator Lewis Powell would target William Seward, the secretary of state. George Atzerodt, another conspirator, would go after Andrew Johnson, the vice president.

Public DomainGeorge Atzerodt and Lewis Powell were two of Booth’s primary co-conspirators.

At the same time that Booth went to Ford’s Theatre, Powell went to Seward’s home, and Atzerodt went to the Kirkwood House hotel, where Johnson was staying. Atzerodt lost his nerve and got drunk instead. Powell succeeded in badly wounding Seward, as well as several people in his home, before he fled into the night. However, Seward ultimately survived the attack. And, at 10:15 p.m., John Wilkes Booth waited for the audience to laugh, then shot Abraham Lincoln in the back of the head.

He then leapt from the presidential box, shouting, “Sic semper tyrannis!” or, “Thus always to tyrants!” before making his escape into the night.

When Did Abraham Lincoln Die?

Though Abraham Lincoln was shot on the night of April 14th, the president did not die right away. After he was shot, Lincoln was taken to the Petersen Boarding House across the street from Ford’s Theatre. The White House was only six blocks away, but the president was badly injured and a bumpy carriage ride seemed like a bad idea.

Abraham Lincoln died the next morning, April 15, 1865, at 7:22 a.m.

How Did Abraham Lincoln Die?

John Wilkes Booth had shot Abraham Lincoln at point-blank range with a .44-caliber pistol. According to the National Park Service, the bullet had entered the back of Abraham Lincoln’s head, passed through his brain, and lodged behind his right eye. The bullet had fractured both the president’s orbital plates of the frontal plate of his skull and propelled skull fragments into his brain. The gunshot wound left him paralyzed and unconscious, and he would never regain consciousness again.

Public DomainA depiction of Abraham Lincoln on his deathbed, surrounded by his family and advisors.

The wound had caused very little bleeding — in fact, most of the blood at the scene came from Henry Rathbone, who had scuffled with Booth and been stabbed — but Lincoln’s wound was still fatal. Many experts say even modern technology would have offered Lincoln only a slim chance of survival. He was mortally wounded by the bullet.

How Old Was Abraham Lincoln When He Died?

Abraham Lincoln was 56 years old when he died. He had celebrated his last birthday just a couple of months earlier, on February 12th.

What Happened To John Wilkes Booth After Lincoln Was Assassinated?

After shooting Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth fled Washington, D.C. He met up with one of his fellow conspirators, David Herold, and made his way to the home of Dr. Samuel Mudd in Maryland. Booth had broken his leg when he jumped from the presidential box; Mudd set it and then let Booth and Herold stay at his house that night.

Back in Washington, D.C., investigators began to hunt for Booth (who had been recognized by witnesses after the murder). They would track him over the course of 12 days as Booth and Herold evaded capture, and would finally catch up with them at a farm near Port Royal, Virginia. There, Herold would be arrested — and Booth was killed.

How Did John Wilkes Booth Die?

On the morning of April 26, 1865, John Wilkes Booth and David Herold woke up to find that they’d been trapped. The barn they’d slept in had been locked by the property’s owners — who feared that Booth and Herold would rob them during the night — putting them at the mercy of two detectives and the 16th New York Cavalry regiment. The Union men had tracked them down, and demanded that they immediately surrender.

Though Herold agreed to give himself up, Booth refused. Union soldiers tried to light the barn on fire in order to smoke him out, and then one of the soldiers shot Booth through slits in the wall. John Wilkes Booth died about five hours later, at 7:15 a.m. on April 26, 1865, at the age of 26.

Who Killed John Wilkes Booth?

John Wilkes Booth was killed by a Union soldier named Boston Corbett. The Union men had been instructed to take Booth alive, but Corbett feared that Booth was going to open fire on the soldiers.

Public DomainThomas H. “Boston” Corbett, the Union soldier who killed John Wilkes Booth.

“I saw him make a movement towards the floor. I supposed he was going to fight his way out,” Corbett recalled. “He was taking aim with the carbine, but at whom I could not say. My mind was upon him attentively to see that he did no harm; and, when I became impressed that it was time, I shot him.” Corbett added that he had not intended to kill Booth, but he said that “God Almighty directed me to.”

John Wilkes Booth was killed, but the investigation into Abraham Lincoln’s death continued. Booth clearly hadn’t acted alone, and investigators quickly rounded up his suspected conspirators.

Who Were The Conspirators In Lincoln’s Assassination?

Though investigators suspected that many people were involved in the planning of the president’s assassination, they identified 10 people who were directly involved. These conspirators included Booth, Powell, Atzerodt, Herold, Dr. Mudd, Samuel Arnold, Michael O’Laughlen, and Edman “Ned” Spangler, as well as Mary Surratt, who owned the boarding house where the conspirators frequently met, and her son, John Surratt, a Confederate spy and friend of Booth’s.

Booth had already been killed, but some of his co-conspirators would also be executed for their roles in Abraham Lincoln’s death.

Who Was Hung For Lincoln’s Assassination?

Powell, Atzerodt, Herold, and Mary Surratt were hanged for their roles in Lincoln’s assassination. Their execution took place on July 7, 1865.

But even though Mary Surratt’s boarding house was dubbed “the nest that hatched the egg,” some historians have questioned the extent of her guilt. And as the federal government had never executed a woman before, many Americans were deeply conflicted about seeing her hanged.

What Happened After Lincoln Was Assassinated?

Ultimately, John Wilkes Booth couldn’t stop the end of the Civil War. Lee’s surrender on April 9th caused a ripple effect among other troops, who followed suit. On May 10th, Confederate President Jefferson Davis was captured, and the last skirmish of the Civil War was fought from May 12th to 13th, at the Battle of Palmito Ranch in Texas. In August 1866, President Andrew Johnson formally declared that the Civil War was over.

For Lincoln’s family, the president’s death was the latest in a terrible series of tragedies. Mary Lincoln had already lost her sons Eddie and Willie, and her youngest son Tad would die young in 1871. Only Abraham and Mary Lincoln’s eldest, Robert Todd Lincoln, would live into old age.

Who Became President After Abraham Lincoln’s Death?

Public DomainAndrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States.

Soon after Abraham Lincoln’s death on the morning of April 15, 1865, his vice president, Andrew Johnson, took the oath of office and became the nation’s 17th president. Johnson was a Southern Democrat who had remained loyal to the Union during the war. But Johnson also held racist views, and he is considered by many historians to have been ill-equipped to guide the nation throughout the post-Civil War years.

How Did Abraham Lincoln’s Death Affect Reconstruction?

Ultimately, we can never know for sure how Abraham Lincoln would have handled the period after the Civil War, known as Reconstruction. But his death placed responsibility for Reconstruction in Johnson’s hands, and Johnson had little interest in advocating for freed Black Americans or working with Lincoln’s political allies. Rather, he sought to quickly bring former Confederate states and their citizens back into the nation’s fold.

“There is no such thing as reconstruction,” Johnson said. “These States have not gone out of the Union, therefore reconstruction is unnecessary.”

Though newly-freed Black Americans were able to make great strides toward equality, much of this progress was erased in 1877, when Union troops pulled out of the South and Reconstruction came to an end.

After reading about the death of President Abraham Lincoln, discover the stories of failed presidential assassination attempts. Or, learn about some of the worst presidents in American history.