John Wilkes Booth: The Actor Who Killed A President

Q: Who was John Wilkes Booth?

John Wilkes Booth was an American stage actor who assassinated US President Abraham Lincoln on 14 April 1865, at the end of the American Civil War.

Q: Why did Booth kill Lincoln?

John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln because he believed that Lincoln was a tyrant; Lincoln's expansions of presidential power during the Civil War convinced Booth that he planned to make himself king. Moreover, Booth, a staunch Confederate sympathizer, wanted to avenge the South's defeat in the war.

Q: How long was Booth on the run?

After assassinating Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth went on the run for twelve days before being cornered by Federal troops in a barn in rural Virginia, where he was killed.

Harrison W. Mark

Definition

John Wilkes Booth (1838-1865) was a 19th-century American stage actor who assassinated US President Abraham Lincoln on 14 April 1865. Born to a family of famous actors, Booth was a rising star on stages across the United States, known for his leading roles in William Shakespeare's plays. He sympathized with the Confederacy during the American Civil War (1861-1865) and denounced Lincoln as a tyrant who sought to subjugate the South. After shooting Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., Booth went on the run and eluded authorities for nearly two weeks. He was finally cornered by Federal soldiers in a barn in rural Virginia, where, after a brief standoff, he was fatally shot in the neck.

More about: John Wilkes Booth

Timeline

10 May 1838
John Wilkes Booth is born in Bel-Air, Maryland.
Aug 1857
Booth begins his acting career at Arch Street Theatre in Philadelphia.
2 Dec 1859
Booth attends the execution of abolitionist John Brown, which has a profound impact on his life.
Oct 1860
Booth embarks on a national tour performing plays such as Romeo and Juliet, Richard III, and the Lady of Lyons.
Mar 1862
Booth makes his debut on the stages of New York City, marking the peak of his acting career.
Aug 1864
John Wilkes Booth begins plotting to kidnap US President Abraham Lincoln.
Oct 1864
Booth travels to Montreal, likely to meet with Confederate agents.
14 Nov 1864
The three Booth brothers - Junius Jr., Edwin, and John - stage a performance of 'Julius Caesar' in New York City to raise funds for a statue of Shakespeare in Central Park.
14 Apr 1865
President Lincoln is assassinated in Ford's Theatre by John Wilkes Booth.
26 Apr 1865
John Wilkes Booth is shot and killed by a Federal soldier after a twelve-day manhunt.