LESSON 7: LINCOLN’S GRADE 5-8 ASSASSINATION WWW.PRESIDENTLINCOLN.ORG Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Objectives • Identify at least three individuals involved in Lincoln’s assassination. • Understand the motivations compelling Booth to assassinate the president. • Define vocabulary relevant to an assassination, conspiracy, and trial. • Assess and interpret the subject matter of an historic photograph or docu- ment. • Appreciate the importance of collecting and preserving primary sources.. • Recognize how primary sources can be used in the understanding and tell- ing of historic stories. INTRODUCTION ohn Wilkes Booth was not the American history had ever been The purpose of this J first person to ever consider assassinated. Still, concern for lesson is to introduce students killing Abraham Lincoln. Death Lincoln’s safety grew as the Civil to the story of Lincoln’s assassi- threats to the President were War continued, and with good nation and those who conspired frequent and common. They reason. Lincoln’s politics, espe- to kill him, the issues dividing came from the disgruntled and cially his stance on slavery, were the United States at that time, the deranged. But no one really divisive. The country was in and the techniques used by li- believed any would be carried turmoil and many blamed Lin- brary and museum professionals out. No prominent figure in coln. in uncovering and interpreting history. Materials • "Analyzing A Photograph Worksheet” (in this lesson plan) • “Analyzing A Document Worksheet" (in this lesson plan) • Primary documents from the “Lincoln Biography Reading Kit” (and on this CD) • #70 Ford’s Theatre Announcement • #83 John Wilkes Booth • #71 Ford’s Theatre • #84 Reward for Capture of Booth • #72 Martyrdom of Lincoln • #85 O’Laughlin • #73 Telegraph • #86 Spangler • #74 Lincoln’s Deathbed • #87 Arnold • #76 Funeral Procession • #88 Mudd • #77 Funeral Train Map • #89 Herold • #78 Lincoln Lying in State • #90 Atzerodt • #79 A Nation Mourns • #91 Payne • #80 Stanton Telegraph • #92 Surratt • #81 Lincoln Home in Mourning • #93 Conspirators’ Hanging Page 2 LESSON 7: LINCOLN’S ASSASSINATION PROCEDURE VOCABULARY LIST 1. Review with your class Discussion Prompts the facts surrounding Abet –To approve, encour- Lincoln’s Assassination. 1. Lincoln gave a speech a age, and support an action or For older students, you few days before his a plan of action; urge and help might pass out the short assassination at the on. article on the assassina- White House. In this tion found in this lesson. speech he made the Apparition – An unusual or statement that freed unexpected sight; a ghostly 2. Ask your class: How do blacks should be given historians know what figure. the right to vote. How they know? From was this received by the where do they get their Assassin – A person who public? murders a well-known or im- information? 2. John Wilkes Booth was portant person, such as a 3. Present these questions: the most famous actor president. Do original, documents in the North and South or photographs make a during and after the Assassination – The murder story ore interesting. Civil War. Do you of a politically important or Why? Why do we save think this helped him Online Resources famous person. these things? Should influence people to we? adopt his political be- Catafalque – A raised struc- liefs? ture on which a deceased 4. Discuss with your stu- Ford’s Theatre National dents how historians person’s body lies. 3. John Wilkes Booth had Historic Site can pull together docu- help in his plot to kill ments, photographs and Lincoln. What similari- www.nps.gov/foth/index2.htm Conspirators – People who artifacts to tell a historic ties do you see be- join together in a secret agree- story in an exhibit. tween Booth and his ment to do an unlawful or wrongful act. 5. Pass out the worksheets conspirators? Surratt Society-The Original and handouts. Ask your John Wilkes Booth Escape 4. No president or politi- Conspiracy – A secret, ille- students to work inde- Route Tour cally important person gal plan made by two or more pendently or in small had ever been assassi- www.surratt.org/su_bert.html people. groups to analyze the nated in the United documents and images States. What effect did Ferry - A boat or ship that in order to complete the assassination of the regularly carries people over a the worksheets. president have on the The Trial of the Lincoln Conspirators body of water. Extension American public? 5. Why didn’t Lincoln’s http://www.law.umkc.edu/facul Fugitives – A person who 1. Make a list of reasons funeral train go straight ty/projects/ftrials/lincolnconspi runs from the law. why someone would back to Springfield? racy/lincolnconspiracy.html want to harm or assassi- Manacles – Metal irons used 6. What was the fate of nate the president. on the hands and feet of pris- each of the conspira- 2. Pretend you are a jour- tors and why was Mary Assassination of President oners. nalist who landed an Surratt's fate so shock- Abraham Lincoln, Abraham interview with one of Lincoln Papers, Library of Penitentiary – A state or ing? the conspirators. Write Congress federal prison in the United a transcription of the States. interview or an article http://memory.loc.gov/ammem about the interview. /alhtml/alrintr.html Plot - A secret plan, usually 3. Pretend you are a de- to do something wrong or fense attorney for one illegal. of the conspirators. Write up a defense of Sympathizer - A person who your client to present supports a particular group or to the judge and jury. cause. Page 3 WWW.PRESIDENTLINCOLN.ORG WHO KILLED LINCOLN? ohn Wilkes Booth was hoped this would lead to caught and tried by a mili- an accomplished confusion and lack of direc- tary tribunal. Four of the J Shakespearean actor tion in the government, al- conspirators were executed and member of a well- lowing the South to return to by hanging, one fled the known theatrical family. He power. country, two were given life performed in many plays President and Mrs. Lin- prison sentences and the last throughout the country. coln invited several people received a six-year prison Booth was also a passionate to attend the performance term. For many years, it was racist and enthusiastic sup- with them, but many de- thought that Confederate porter of the South during clined, including General officials planned the assassi- the Civil War. He grew to and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant. nation, but it has never been hate Abraham Lincoln, who Major Henry Rathbone and proven. stood for everything that his fiancé, Clara Harris, fi- Lincoln was not popu- Booth opposed. In March nally agreed to attend the lar while he was president, 1864 Booth made plans with play with the Lincolns. but in death he became a a small group of conspirators Shortly after 10 pm, Booth martyr and a hero. No presi- to kidnap Lincoln while he walked past where Lincoln’s dent or politically important Embellishing a wit- visited a hospital in Wash- bodyguard had left his post. person had been assassinated ington, take him to Rich- He entered the presidential in the United States and it ness’s recollection mond and hold him ransom booth and shot Lincoln in the in exchange for Confederate back of the head. He “Lincoln’s politics, that the moon prisoners of war. The plan stabbed Major Rathbone and especially his shone with a red- failed when Lincoln’s sched- then jumped from the booth ule was changed at the last to the stage below. As he stance on slavery, dish hue on the minute. jumped, he shouted “Sic Two days after General temper tyrannis” (Latin for were divisive. night Lincoln was Robert E. Lee surrendered to “as always to tyrants”) and The country was General Ulysses S. Grant on he caught his heel on a dis- shot, Illinois’ cele- April 9, 1865 at Appomat- play flag, breaking his leg. in turmoil and brated prairie poet tox, Lincoln made a speech Still, he managed to run many blamed to a crowd outside the White across the stage and fled the Carl Sandburg House. Booth was in the theater without being caught. Lincoln.” crowd and heard the Presi- President Lincoln was popularized the dent say that blacks should taken across the street to a phrase “Blood on be allowed to vote. Incensed lodging house, the Petersen was an extreme shock to the at this, Booth changed his home, where he was laid American people. The coun- the Moon” in con- plans to kill Lincoln rather diagonally across the bed try was overcome with grief. than kidnap him. because it was too short for Thousands viewed Lincoln’s nection to the Lin- President and Mrs. Lin- him. Lincoln never regained body lying in state in Wash- coln were scheduled to at- consciousness. Surrounded ington in the White House coln assassination. tend a performance of Our by his family and govern- and in the Capital Rotunda. American Cousin at Ford’s ment officials, Lincoln died In fact, one in four Ameri- Theatre on Good Friday, at 7:22 a.m. the following cans, viewed Lincoln’s body April 14. Booth found out day. After Lincoln’s death, either in Washington or in about the schedule and had Secretary of War Edwin the many cities on the long, one last meeting with his co- Stanton spoke the famous mournful route home to conspirators to finalize plans words, “Now he belongs to Springfield. Lincoln’s fu- for the assassination. The the ages.” neral train traveled the coun- conspirators also planned to Booth escaped but was try from Washington to his kill other government offi- caught in a barn in Virginia final resting place in Oak cials on the same day, in- thirteen days later.