Lincoln’s Assassination

Lincoln Before the War

Lincoln at the end of the war

Before and After

John Wilkes Booth the assassin Leader of the plot to kill Lincoln Famous actor In Washington DC Well-known, recognizable Booth was Angry that the south lost the war Booth was very angry about the Emancipation Proclamation

Lincoln and his assassin

April 14th, 1865 Lincoln decides to attend Ford’s Theater to see a play called “Our American Cousin” Booth spends time at the hotel next door and then enters the theater without question Since he is a well-known actor, he is very knowledgeable about the theater and the play He waits for a moment during the dialogue when there would be laughter

Ford’S Theater Today

Ford’s Theater in 1865

The scene of the crime

The Scene of the Crime Today

Artist’s Rendering

At the exact moment Booth pulled the trigger, Lincoln turned his head to the left/downward, as if looking to the crowd This led to the bullet lodging in his head in a particular position that limited bleeding Many in the theater had no idea what had happened until…

Booth Leaps off of the stage and breaks his leg

As he stands on the stage he shouts “Sic Semper Tyrannis” This is the state motto of Virginia It means, “Thus forever to tyrants”

Lincoln After being shot, several doctors examined him Because of the location of the wound, it did not bleed much and doctor’s were unsure of his injury He was carried across the street to the Petersen House President Lincoln died on April 15, 1865 at 7:22 am

Where Lincoln Died

Booth is Killed April 26, 1865 An army unit tracks down Booth hiding at a farm Booth refuses to come out of the tobacco barn where he was hiding When Booth refuses to leave the barn, it is set on fire Booth is shot in the neck He is alive, but paralyzed His last words are “Useless, Useless”

The Execution

The Execution

The Execution Notice the person on the left is wearing a dress—she was the 1st woman executed by the US government

Lincoln’s Funeral

Lincoln’s Funeral

Lincoln’s Funeral

The Lincoln/Kennedy Similarities

The Lincoln/Kennedy Similarities Lincoln elected to Congress in 1846 Lincoln elected President in 1860 Lincoln lost a child while living in the White House Kennedy elected to Congress in 1946 Kennedy elected President in 1960 Kennedy lost a child while living in the White House

The Lincoln/Kennedy Similarities Lincoln was killed on a Friday Lincoln was shot in the back of his head in the presence of his wife Kennedy was killed on a Friday Kennedy was shot in the back of the head in the presence of his wife

The Lincoln/Kennedy Similarities Lincoln was directly concerned with civil rights Lincoln’s assassin was killed before going to trial Kennedy was directly concerned with civil rights Kennedy’s assassin was killed before going to trial

The Lincoln/Kennedy Similarities Lincoln has a secretary named Kennedy who told him not to go to the theater Lincoln was shot in the Ford Theater Kennedy had a secretary named Lincoln who told him not to go to Dallas (where he was shot) Kennedy was shot while riding in a Lincoln, made by Ford

The Lincoln/Kennedy Similarities Lincoln’s assassin—John Wilkes Booth—was known by 3 names, comprised of 15 letters Kennedy’s assassin—Lee Harvey Oswald—was known by 3 names, comprised of 15 letters

The Lincoln/Kennedy Similarities Booth shot Lincoln in a theater and was captured in a warehouse (tobacco barn) Oswald shot Kennedy from a warehouse and was captured in a theater

The Lincoln/Kennedy Similarities Lincoln’s successor was Andrew Johnson, born in 1808 Kennedy’s successor was Lyndon Johnson, born in 1908

The Lincoln/Kennedy Similarities Both presidents had 7 letters in their names Both were over 6 feet tall, were athletic Both liked to quote Shakespeare & the Bible Both had genetic diseases Both served in the military as boat captains Both received many death threats

The Lincoln/Kennedy Similarities Both were shot on a Friday before a holiday Both were in the company of another couple when they were shot (Rathbone & Harris with Lincoln and the Connollys with Kennedy Both died in a place with the intitials PH—Lincoln in the Petersen House and Kennedy at Parkland Hospital

The Lincoln/Kennedy Similarities Both were buried in mahogany coffins Both were carried on the same caisson Mrs. Kennedy ordered that her husband’s funeral mirror Lincoln’s as closely as possible

The Lincoln/Kennedy Similarities Both presidents were related to senators After the assassination, Lincoln’s son moved to 3014 N St. in Georgetown After the assassination, Kennedy’s son moved to 3017 N St. in Georgetown Both presidents were related to Democratic Attorneys General from Harvard

The Lincoln/Kennedy Similarities Both wives were known for fashion and spending money Both renovated the White House Each couple had 4 children, two of whom died before becoming a teen Lincoln had sons named Robert and Edward Kennedy had brothers named Robert and Edward

The Lincoln/Kennedy Similarities Both were named for their grandfathers Both were second children Both lost a sister before becoming President Both were in their thirties when the married dark-haired women in their twenties Both wives were from socially prominent familes Both wives spoke French

The Lincoln/Kennedy Similarities Both presidents knew men named Adlai Stevenson Both were related to British Ambassadors Both knew a doctor named Charles Taft Both presidents knew a Billy Graham Both won the presidency will less than a majority of voters Both were involved in famous debates Both had the legality of their election challenged

The Lincoln/Kennedy Similarities The concession operator at Ford’s Theater was Joseph “Peanuts” Burroughs The concession operator at the Texas theater where Oswald was caught was Butch Burroughs Men named Oswald and Payne (sometimes spelled Paine) helped Booth to escape or plan L.H. Oswald got his job from a woman named Paine

The Lincoln/Kennedy Similarities The Vice Presidents Both were southern Democrats named Johnson Both were born in the ’08 year Both had 6 letters in their first names Both were large, athletic men Both had 2 daughters and were in the military Both became president in their mid-fifties

The Lincoln/Kennedy Similarities The Vice Presidents Both were distrusted by the dead president’s cabinet Both faced (or would have faced) re-election to opponents with a G—Grant and Goldwater Both decided not to run again in ‘68

The Lincoln/Kennedy Similarities Assassins Both were killed with a single shot by a Colt revolver in a blaze of light Both were shot before their version of events could be heard Both were killed by lone fanatics Both killers of the assassins had changed their names

The Lincoln/Kennedy Similarities The Assassins Both were in their mid-twenties Both lost their fathers at a young age Both had 2 brothers Both were privates in the military Both sympathized with enemies of the USA Both used an alias Both were detained by a man named Baker