10 Interesting Facts about Abraham Lincoln Assassination


You might probably want to know one of these following facts about Abraham Lincoln assassination, since it was part of the important events of the development of United States. The assassination of Lincoln occurred five days after the commander of the Confederate Army of Norther Virginia, General E. Lee, surrendered to Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant and the Union Army of the Potomac. He was shot on Good Friday, April 14, 1865, while attending the play, Our American Cousin, at Ford’s Theatre as the American Civil War was drawing to a close. Furthermore, for you who want to get to know more about this assassination, here are some other facts about Abraham Lincoln assassination you might like.

Facts about Abraham Lincoln assassination 1: The Assassination

Lincoln was the first American president to be assassinated,though an unsuccessful attempt had been made on Andrew Jackson 30 years before in 1835. The assassination of Lincoln was planned and carried out by the well-known stage actor John Wilkes Booth, as part of a larger conspiracy in a bid to revive the Confederate cause.

Facts about Abraham Lincoln assassination 2: The Killing

Booth planned to shoot Lincoln with his single-shot Deringer and then stab Grant with a knife at Ford’s Theatre. They were all to strike simultaneously shortly after ten o’clock that night. Atzerodt wanted nothing to do with it, saying he had only signed up for a kidnapping, not a killing. Booth told him he was in too far to back out.

Facts about Abraham Lincoln Assassination - The assassination
Facts about Abraham Lincoln Assassination – The assassination

Facts about Abraham Lincoln assassination 3: Escaping

Within half an hour of his escape on horseback from Ford’s, Booth crossed over the Navy Yard Bridge and out of the city into Maryland. Sentry SGT. Silas Cobb, 3rd Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, questioned Booth about where he was going so late at night, and Booth replied that he was going home to the nearby town of Charles.

Facts about Abraham Lincoln assassination 4: Conspritator’s Trial

In the turmoil that followed the assassination, scores of suspected accomplices were arrested and thrown into prison. All the people who were discovered to have had anything to do with the assassination or anyone with the slightest contact with Booth or Herold on their flight were put behind bars.

Facts about Abraham Lincoln Assassination - Ford's theatre
Facts about Abraham Lincoln Assassination – Ford’s theatre

Facts about Abraham Lincoln assassination 5: Punishment

The trial lasted for about seven weeks, with 366 witnesses testifying. Louis Weichmann, released from custody, was a key witness. All of the defendants were found guilty on June 30. Mary Surratt, Lewis Powell, David Herold, and George Atzerodt were sentenced to death by hangind; Samuel Mudd, Samuel Arnold, and Michael O’Laughlen were sentenced to life in prison.

Facts about Abraham Lincoln assassination 6: Aftermath

Lincoln was the first American president to be assassinated. His assassination had a long-lasting impact upon the United States, and he was mourned throughout the country in both the North and South.

Facts about Abraham Lincoln Assassination - Gun used to shoot Lincoln
Facts about Abraham Lincoln Assassination – Gun used to shoot Lincoln

Facts about Abraham Lincoln assassination 7: Andrew Johson

Andrew Johnson became President upon Lincoln’s death. Johnson was to become one of the least popular presidents in American history. He was impeached by the House of Representatives in 1868, but the Senate failed to convict him by one vote.

Facts about Abraham Lincoln assassination 8: Ford’s Theatre

John Ford tried to reopen his theater a couple of months after the murder, but a wave of outrage forced him to cancel. In 1866, the federal government purchased the building from Ford, tore out the insides, and turned it into an office building. In 1893, the inner structure collapsed, killing 22 clerks. It was later used as a warehouse, then it lay empty until it was restored to its 1865 appearance.

Facts about Abraham Lincoln Assassination - Portrait of John Wilkes Booth
Facts about Abraham Lincoln Assassination – Portrait of John Wilkes Booth

Facts about Abraham Lincoln assassination 9: Museum

The bed that Lincoln occupied and other items from the bedroom had been bought by Chicago collector Charles F. Gunther and are now owned by and on display at the Chicago History Museum. The Army Medical Musem, now named the National Museum of Health and Medicine, has retained in its collection several artifacts relating to the assassination.

Facts about Abraham Lincoln assassination 10: Jon Bright’s Testimonial

Found in Lincoln’s pocket, after his death, was a copy of English MP John Bright’s testimonial for the President’s re-election.

Facts about Abraham Lincoln Assassination - Presidential box
Facts about Abraham Lincoln Assassination – Presidential box

Hope you would find those Abraham Lincoln assassination facts really interesting, useful and helpful for your additional reading.


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