Preview

Abraham Lincoln's Assassination Essay

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
500 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Abraham Lincoln's Assassination Essay
"I walked with a firm step through a thousand of his friends, was stopped, but pushed on.” On April 14, 1865 Abraham Lincoln was killed amidst the play, “Our American Cousin,” by a Confederate sympathizer and former spy by the name John Wilkes Booth. These were the words of John Wilkes Booth, describing the frightening, historical moments in which he was on his way to kill the President, Abraham Lincoln. John Wilkes Booth, unlike what many people think, had many reasons for his strong, unprecedented, decision to kill the President of the United States. Chasing Lincoln’s Killer, “biography.com", and Booth’s last diary entry have all been valid, helpful, and great resources to supply knowledge on this topic. John Wilkes Booth did kill Lincoln, …show more content…
He believed God was waiting for someone to rise up and kill the “tyrant” that was Abraham Lincoln. In his last diary entry, Booth stated, “Our Country owed all our troubles to him and God simply made me the instrument of his punishment…” As well as, “This was not a wrong, unless God deems it so.” He believed that because he wasn’t getting his way, he had to end the person who was preventing him from getting what he wanted.

Lastly, he believed that because slavery was being abolished and he was not getting his way, the country was getting worse, and that is was all the President’s fault. In his words, “The country is not what it used to be… This forced Union is not what I have loved.” We can take from this that he believed that the South was doing right, and that everything & everyone were ‘equal’, and obviously, they were not.

“I do not wish to shed a drop of blood, but ‘I must fight the course.’ ‘Tis all that’s left to me.” John Wilkes Booth, the actor, the son, the confederate, the assassin. So many things one can do, and John Wilkes Booth chose to waste his whole life to end something he did not support. In conclusion, John Wilkes Booth clearly had plentiful reasons that motivated him to make the vile decision to kill Abraham

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Lincoln was not at the spot he was supposed to be kidnapped in. The main conspirator, and eventually Lincoln’s killer, John Wilkes Booth learned that Lincoln was going to be at a performance At Ford’s Theatre. At the time Booth was a famous actor. He made a plan to kill Lincoln, Vice President Andrew Johnson, and Secretary of State William H. Seward. He thought that killing the president and the two men that could take his place would cause the U.S. government to become chaotic and crumble. Lincoln had a private box in the theatre. Booth snuck into the box and killed Lincoln with a single-shot to the back of the head. He escaped by convincing the crowd that it was apart of the play, and then fleeing on horseback out of Washington,…

    • 799 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    April 15, 1865, 7:22 AM, President Abraham Lincoln is presumed dead by one of the many doctors surrounding his deathbed in the Petersen house. John Wilkes Booth is running away from Ford’s Theatre where he had assassinated the 16th President of the United States of America. This book, Manhunt: The 12-day Chase for Lincoln's Killer, by James L. Swanson, highlights what happens before and after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. It shows the perspective of both the people of America and John Wilkes Booth as he attempts to escape D.C. officials. It goes into detail on why Booth murdered Lincoln, and how he survived without being caught for twelve days.…

    • 800 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    I’d like to know that if Booth had such a successful life why he would commit a crime that would ruin his life. He had money, fame, and fans. I’d also like to know if John Wilkes Booth had any other reasons to kill Abraham Lincoln besides the confederacy.…

    • 415 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Lincoln's bodyguard, John Parker, left Ford's Theatre during intermission to drink at the saloon next door. The now unguarded President sat in his state box in the balcony. Seizing the opportunity, Booth crept up from behind and at about 10:13 pm, aimed at the back of Lincoln's head and fired at point-blank range, mortally wounding the President. Major Henry Rathbone momentarily grappled with Booth, but Booth stabbed him and escaped. After being on the run for 12 days, Booth was tracked down and found on a farm in Virginia, some 70 miles (110 km) south of Washington. After refusing to surrender to Union troops, Booth was killed by Sergeant Boston Corbett on April 26. Doctor Charles Leale, an Army surgeon, found the President unresponsive, barely breathing and with no detectable pulse.…

    • 209 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    John Wilkes, who is the first person to assassinate the president. Wilkes used to be a man who enthusiastically enjoyed be on stage and his was during around Civil War, 1864. When Booth was in Maryland, (also born there) he is an Confederate who sympathize during the war and supported the idea of slavery. When he noticed about Lincoln's election, he believed that Lincoln would try to overthrow the Constitution and destroy South primary source.On November 1864, Lincoln's reelection Booth decide to kidnap the president and send him to Richmond; where Confederate can send Lincoln to jail.Then Booth collaborated with his partners about the plan and bought supplies to be the kidnappers. As time goes by, President Lincoln made a speech about his ideas of reconstructing the nation for the better and bring the end to the Confederate State back to the Union.…

    • 332 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Chasing Lincoln's Killer” is the story of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was the United States President during the Civil War, which was a very turbulent time in America's history. The majority of the American people had very strong feelings, either in favor of Northern policies or for the Southern cause. John Wilkes Booth was one of those people. Despite the fact that Booth lived and worked in the North, he was a firm supporter of the Confederacy. He hated Lincoln and Lincoln's policies.…

    • 598 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Despite his success as an actor on the national stage, John Wilkes Booth will forever be known as the man who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. Booth, a native of Maryland, was a fierce Confederate sympathizer during the Civil War. Before the fateful night at Ford’s Theatre, he had conspired to kidnap Lincoln and hide him until all Confederate prisoners were released. On April 14, 1865, Booth entered the theater’s balcony, shot Lincoln at close range and immediately fled the scene. After a 12-day manhunt, Booth was tracked down and killed by Union…

    • 93 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The last Confederate forces surrendered on 26 April. Lincoln became a hate figure by many Southerners who despised his as the "Negro friend". The actor, John Wilkes Booth, 26 years old, successful and popular in Washington was so fanatical that he wanted to kidnap Lincoln. With Lincoln as his hostage, the north should be forced to cease. Because of the surrender of the South, the only revenge left for Booth was to execute the president. President Abraham Lincoln was shot on April 14, by John Wilkes Booth, a radical Southerner, and died the next day. He crept into the presidential box (the guard was in the pub next door) and shot Lincoln with a small Derringer pistol in the back of the head. After the victory of the Northern states, the US Constitution…

    • 148 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The story goes that after killing Lincoln, Booth was given safe passage to Texas by the Confederate underground ("Jesse James" 5). Once there he adopted the name John St. Helen and worked as a bartender ("Secret" 3). A problem arose, however, when Booth developed a drinking problem, and with it a tendency to shoot off his mouth about the life he used to lead ("Jesse James" 5). Booth in other words became a liability that needed to be dealt…

    • 2467 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    John Wilkes booth was a simple man. He was described by many to be an incredible actor. What he kept hidden from everyone close to him was his love for the south. He hated the north and the policies they were putting in place. He believed it was the black man’s destiny to be reigned over by the white man. The north and Abraham Lincoln thought otherwise. It was these differing values that brought John Wilkes Booth to kill Abraham Lincoln.…

    • 649 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Why did they try and kill Abraham Lincoln? John Surratt, Mary Surratt, David Herold, George Atzerodt, Dr. Samuel Mudd, Samuel Arnold, Michael O'Laughlen, Edmund Spangler and John Wilkes Booth wanted slaves because they lived in the south and thought not having slaves was not fair (Reynolds). Booth wanted black people to be slaves and…

    • 567 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Booth supported the South states and the institution of slavery. Soon enough the Civil War had started by April 12, 1861. Much of the south of the United States had separated from the Union and Booth was much upset and knew Lincoln was behind this separation. Booth had hatred against Lincoln since he first knew he was elected. He saw Lincoln did an abuse of absolute power over the country. He didn’t join the army even when the war was happening and just kept being a performer from north to south. Lincoln would visit the theater in which Booth worked in and was a witness of what Booth would do. Lincoln wanted to meet the actor but Booth would refuse since he wasn’t much of a fan of the new…

    • 597 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Well, I’m assuming you know all about me, the murderer, the criminal, and all that. The one who killed the famous and incredible Abe Lincoln. Well… do you want to know why I killed him? How bout we start from the beginning, of my story.…

    • 558 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Did you know that John Wilkes Booth’s original plan was to kidnap Abraham Lincoln? Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865. Booth snuck into the presidential booth and shot Lincoln in the head with a pistol. Escaping Booth broke his leg, but worked through the pain. Booth was captured 12 days later. The morning of April 15, Abraham Lincoln died. The assassination of Lincoln shocked the country. He was the first president to be assassinated. Even though John Wilkes Booth was desperate, the assassination of him was unjustified because John Wilkes Booth didn't have to kill him for his stand on politics and no power over the decision for Lincoln to win the election.…

    • 465 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Many historians question Lincoln’s motives for entering the civil war. While Lincoln states that it was in order to preserve the union some historians believe that he was hoping to end slavery upon victory. However, it doesn’t matter what his motives were because when it comes down to it slavery was ended because of him. He issued the emancipation proclamation that abolished slavery for good. This Act illustrates his courage because he had the gall to do the moral and proper thing against all odds.…

    • 423 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays