After the Civil War

Lincoln’s Death

Lincoln was elected president of the U.S. in 1860

During his presidency, Lincoln led the country through the Civil War where the Northern and Southern states fought each other in battles between 1861-1865. The south wanted to leave the United States! Lincoln very much believed the U.S. needed to stay together to stay strong!

The Civil War was the bloodiest war in U.S. history!

Over half a million U.S. citizens lost their lives in this horrific war!

After the Civil War…

• Many southerners were very angry that the North had defeated them.

• Some blamed President Lincoln for their defeat.

• One such man was a Virginia native named John Wilkes Booth

John Wilkes Booth

John Wilkes Booth snuck behind Lincoln while Lincoln enjoyed a play in Ford’s

Theater and shot him in the back of the head!

Lincoln lived a few days after the gunshot. He was taken to a hotel across the street

from the theatre.

These are real bandages that were used on Lincoln’s wound

Rewards were offered for the capture of the people involved in planning Lincoln’s

shooting!

Finally, after two weeks, the military found Booth hiding on a farm in a barn. They set

fire to the barn…

Booth ran out of the barn and was shot. He died on the front porch of the farm

house.

As those involved in helping Booth plan the assassination were led to their hanging, they were forced to wear masks over their eyes.

Everyone involved in Lincoln’s assassination was tried and

hanged from the neck in public.

The train that took Lincoln’s body across the country where people

mourned his passing.

People around the nation mourned the loss of a great leader.

Today, you can still visit Washington D.C. and stand in the very room that Lincoln died

in.