John Wilkes Booth

Who Was John Wilkes Booth?

John Wilkes Booth, a well-known American actor, is infamous for his role in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Born into a prominent theatrical family, Booth made his stage debut at age 17 and gained widespread recognition for his performances in Shakespearean plays. Despite his acting success, Booth became embroiled in political extremism, joining the Know-Nothing Party and later serving as a Confederate secret agent during the Civil War. His initial plot to kidnap Lincoln in March 1865 failed, but on April 14, 1865, Booth carried out his plan to assassinate the president at Ford’s Theatre. He was killed on April 26, 1865, in Port Royal, Virginia, following a manhunt.

Early Life

John Wilkes Booth was born on May 10, 1838, near Bel Air, Maryland, as the ninth of ten children in a notable family. His father, Junius Brutus Booth, was a famous actor known for his eccentricity and heavy drinking. Raised on a family farm that relied on enslaved labor, Booth experienced a privileged yet tumultuous upbringing. His early education was inconsistent, attending the Milton Boarding School for Boys and later St. Timothy’s Hall intermittently. Booth was often described as strikingly handsome and charismatic, traits that, from a young age, made it seem inevitable that he would follow in his father’s theatrical footsteps.

Acting Career

Booth’s acting debut came at age 17 in Baltimore, where he performed in Shakespeare’s Richard III. His talent quickly garnered attention, and he soon joined a touring Shakespearean company based in Richmond, Virginia. By 1862, Booth made his New York debut in Richard III, where he became an instant success. The New York Herald praised him as a “veritable sensation.” His inclination towards darker roles was evident when Booth famously declared, “I am determined to be a villain.” His rising fame continued, though in 1863, a respiratory illness forced him to take a break from the stage. Ironically, just days before delivering the Gettysburg Address, President Abraham Lincoln watched Booth perform in The Marble Heart at Ford’s Theatre—a stage that would later become the site of Lincoln’s assassination.

Politics and Conspiracy

In the 1850s, John Wilkes Booth became involved in politics by joining the Know-Nothing Party, a group that sought to limit immigration to the United States. His political stance further developed in 1859 when he demonstrated support for slavery by aligning himself with a Virginia militia that aided in the capture and execution of John Brown, following his failed raid on Harpers Ferry. During the Civil War, Booth became an ardent supporter of the Confederacy, even serving as a secret agent.

With his theater career on hiatus, Booth turned to more radical pursuits. He became entangled in a conspiracy to kidnap President Abraham Lincoln, hoping to ransom him for peace or the release of Confederate prisoners. Booth enlisted a group of six Southern sympathizers to assist in the plan, but their attempt in March 1865 to capture Lincoln in Washington, D.C., was thwarted when the president failed to appear at the expected location.

Lincoln’s Assassination

Disappointed by the failure of his kidnapping plot, Booth escalated his actions to a far more extreme measure. On April 14, 1865, he assassinated President Lincoln while the president was attending a performance of Our American Cousin at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. After shooting Lincoln, Booth leapt onto the stage and proclaimed, “Sic semper tyrannis!”—Latin for “Thus always to tyrants!”—declaring that the South had been avenged. In his escape, Booth reportedly broke his leg but managed to flee the scene on horseback, eluding capture in the chaos that ensued.

Death

Booth’s flight led him across the Potomac River to the Garrett farm in Port Royal, Virginia, where he and his co-conspirators sought refuge. On April 26, 1865, Union investigators located the group hiding in a barn on the property. When Booth refused to surrender, the barn was set on fire to force him out. As the flames engulfed the structure, Booth was shot by Thomas P. “Boston” Corbett, a Union soldier. Corbett had aimed for Booth’s arm, but the bullet struck Booth’s neck, leaving him paralyzed. Booth was carried out of the barn and laid on the porch of the Garrett farmhouse, where he died three hours later.