John Wilkes Booth was a successful theater performer, famous in his own right. Instead of being famous for his acting abilities, history remembers this man as the person who assassinated Abraham Lincoln. Here are some interesting acts about this man who would be remembered for one decision he made.
1. A Secret Plan From a Secret Agent.
Booth was recruited by the Confederacy to do spy work for them. He would perform his job adequately whenever called upon – until one fateful moment when he failed to kidnap Lincoln in March 1865. Frustrated that his plot had been foiled, he decided to up the ante and kill the President instead. After shooting Lincoln, Booth jumped onto the stage at the Ford Theater and declared the South had been avenged.
2. A Broken Leg From a Smaller Jump.
The story of the assassination of Lincoln often tells of how Booth broke his leg leaping from the President’s balcony. He actually broke his leg while jumping off the stage at the theater. Even with the injury, everyone was so shocked by what had happened that they didn’t bother to stop Booth from trying to get away.
3. An Inadvertent Shot After a Purposeful Arson.
Those investigating Booth’s actions tracked him and his conspirators to a farm across the Potomic River. They were hiding in a farm and refused to come out upon orders from the investigators. It was decided to burn down the barn with the men inside. When Booth tried to escape the flames, he was shot in the neck. The investigator intended to shoot him in the arm instead. Booth would live for another 3 hours.
4. A Final Word For His Mother.
Booth’s last words were directed to his mother. He wanted her to know that he had taken these actions on behalf of his country.
John Wilkes Booth saw himself as a fighter to stop the Union from eliminating slavery. He also respected the fact that people could change the world on their own with one single violent act. History today proves the fact that these were valid thoughts because Booth’s name will continue to live on in infamy as long as the US remains a nation.
