On April 11, 1865, two days after Lee's surrender at Appomattox,
Lincoln delivered a speech outlining his plans for peace and
reconstruction. In the audience was John Wilkes Booth, a
successful actor, born and raised in Maryland. Booth was a
fervent believer in slavery and white supremacy. Upon hearing
Lincoln's words, he said to a companion, "Now, by God, I'll put
him through. That is the last speech he will ever make." After
failing in two attempts earlier in the year to kidnap the
President, Booth decided Lincoln must be killed. His conspiracy
was grand in design. Booth and his collaborators decided to
assassinate the President, Vice President Andrew Johnson, and
Secretary of State William Seward all in the same evening.
Lincoln decided to attend a British comedy, Our American Cousin,
at Ford's Theater, starring the famous actress Laura Keene.
Ulysses S. Grant had planned to accompany the President and his
wife, but during the day he decided to see his son in New
Jersey. Attending the play that night with