Who was John Wilkes Booth and what his was secret plan to remove Abraham Licoln? 14.04.1865 Ford's theater premiered the show "Our American cousin". The game gained recognition right from its debut on stage, just over half a year before it was introduced to Ford's theater. The cast was filled with talented actors, the game was recognized as well written, entertaining and funny. She also had a good ad that brought her another success. The game was also commended by critics and was given national attention. It was the same night that Abraham Lincoln was murdered. It has caused national sadness, and this day has become the keystone of American history.

Crusaders are of historical significance

It is strongly debated that paying attention to those committing cruel deeds encourages similar behavior in other people, and crime is growing. Maybe that's why Jfire turned Wilkes Booth from a popular actor with Lincoln's death to a notorious murderer. Other historical murderers have also achieved negative fame: Lee Harvey Oswald, James Earl Ray, and Charles J. Guiteau have gained similar prestige. Although these other murderers have left their own footprints in history, the names John Wilkes Booth and Abraham Lincoln rise above them. Maybe it's also because of the intricate history between them. This may be due to the magnificent rise and fall that accompanied Linkoln's success and his sudden death, which relentlessly bound the two in history.

And what about co-pals?

Name John Wilkes Booth is best known for this infamous murderso it is easy to overlook those who helped him. John Wilkes Booth was not alone, and killing Abraham Lincoln was not his only task with his companions. The removal of Lincoln was the first step in their plans for a larger goal. In fact, it was not the main goal. John Wilkes Booths' involvement in the murder was just a small piece of the puzzle. Behind him were other companions who helped and wanted to renew the Confederacy's efforts to fight the civil war. The goal was, in fact, a confederate secret conspiracy.

Who were the primary co-supplicants?

No big conspiracy can be made by just one man alone. There are always more people involved in the event. Although John Wilkes Booth is the face of this murder, his companions, who helped him with action and escape, are also in the background of the story.

1) David Herold - Escape

John Wilkes Booth quickly left Ford's theater after the murder. He was injured and had a broken leg. Soon he joined him David Herold, one of his splinters. David Herold was not directly involved in any of the many attempted assassinations that took place this night, he was in charge of providing a quick escape. He was also in charge of penetrating further co-deployment in the House of Secretary of State William H. Seward. Once the action began, Herold left his conspiratorium and left, later assisting John Wilkes Booth in safety.

David Herold

2) Lewis Payne - Invasion of the House of Foreign Minister

Lewis Payne was responsible for one of those three goals that night. Accompanied by David Herold, he invaded William H. Seward's house. There he injured several people and seriously wounded the Secretary of State. However, since David Herold left him, he was forced to take care of himself.

Lewis Payne

3) George Atzerodt - plan to remove vice president

The last assassin who was involved in the plot was George Atzerodta. His goal was to be Andrew Jackson, the then Vice President. Prior to the event, he was boosted with alcohol, lost his nerves, and then dropped off. After several days, he was arrested after his room showed enough evidence of his involvement in the conspiracy.

George Atzerodt

4) Mary and John Surratt

If there were only two people who could be identified as "responsible" for organizing the Lincoln conspiracy, it would probably be Mary and John Surratt. The duo mother and son worked for years as Secret Service associates in their pub in Maryland. Their tavern became a communication center for the Confederacy, constantly gathering more conspirators under their wings. John Surratt helped in particular at recruiting newcomers into a conspiracy. Mary Surratt gained control of the boarding house in Washington DC, with the intention of using it to hide agents and help with secret activities.

Secret plan against Linkoln

As we know from history, the final plan for Lincoln was determined at the time of the murder. However, this was not the original purpose that John Wilkes Booth and his company intended with their plot. The assassination of Abraham Lincoln was essentially an act of despair, rather than the result of a successful military strategy. The assassination was, in fact, the third attempt to plot Lincoln's prosperity.

When John Wilkes Booth began promoting Confederate centers in his area, his initial intention was to kidnap the president. The first conspiracy began to unfold in the fall of 1864, when the Confederacy lost ground and war. The argument was that Jefferson Davis himself approved all the conspiracies about Lincoln, but never enough evidence was found to link them. Although President Jefferson Davis did not officially sign up for the assassination attempts on Lincoln, those who took part were Confederate soldiers and supporters. To raise hopes of strengthening the South in the Civil War, John Surratt and John Wilkes Booth focused their efforts on a plan to kidnap Lincoln from Ford's theater on January 18.01.1865, XNUMX.

This first abduction plan was lifted before it began. Originally John Wilkes Booth planned to beat Lincoln with his helpers, bind him and then hide him on stage before escaping into the night. Most people agree that this plan was impractical, full of holes, and would have no chance of success. We will never know if John Wilkes Booth was actually planning to continue this farce because Lincoln eventually spent the night at home due to bad weather. Two months later, the second abduction plan was devised, representing a much more reasonable plan.

Plan

On March 17.03.1865, XNUMX, Abraham Lincoln was to attend the performance "Silent Water Grinds the Shores" at a military hospital. It was an opportunity that John Wilkes Booth and his company could not miss. John Wilkes Booth received six assistants to take part in the abduction. The plan was to attack Lincoln's carriage while he was on his way to a performance on the outskirts of the city. Not only would it be without meaningful protection, but it would also give them the opportunity to escape across the Potomac River into the Confederate area. This second abduction attempt also failed. Although their second secret plot had a better view of completion and certainly had at least some chance of success, their plan was thwarted. Abraham Lincoln again decided to change his plans at the last minute, and instead of going to see the show, he watched a regiment of Native American volunteers returning to the city.

What were the intentions of a secret plot?

In the autumn of 1864, when John Wilkes Booth began cooperating with his co-supporters, the South fought a lost war in advance. With the interruption of trading with prisoners of war, the South was weakened by the lack of troops to complement its forces. Confederation agents, including John Wilkes Booth and his company, wanted to take care to help the army in any way. If Lincoln's kidnappings were successful, they would take him to the south. There he could be released as a ransom to the Union and the company would demand that confederate soldiers be released in return for the safe return of the president. Given that the greatest weakness of the confederation at that time was insufficient labor, this advantage would prolong civil war for an indefinite period.

North versus South

While kidnapping attempts would bring victory to the Confederacy in the eyes of John Wilkes Booth, the failure of both kidnappings has created a desperate situation. As time went on, the Confederacy's chances of victory diminished and the assassination became Booth's final choice. He hoped that removing the three most important and powerful leaders of the Union on the same night would cripple their morale and structure, while raising the South's hopes of victory.

The final result

While John Wilkes Booth succeeded in assassinating the president, his co-pals had failed. Andrew Jackson and William H. Seward survived the night, and the conspirators involved in Lincoln's murderous plot were caught and hanged. While their kidnapping attempts could have reached a certain degree of success in helping the failing military force of the South, the murderous plot resulted in a little more than a tragedy.