Did you know that John Wilkes Booth’s original plan was to kidnap Abraham Lincoln? Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865. Booth snuck into the presidential booth and shot Lincoln in the head with a pistol. Escaping Booth broke his leg, but worked through the pain. Booth was captured 12 days later. The morning of April 15, Abraham Lincoln died. The assassination of Lincoln shocked the country. He was the first president to be assassinated. Even though John Wilkes Booth was desperate, the assassination of him was unjustified because John Wilkes Booth didn't have to kill him for his stand on politics and no power over the decision for Lincoln to win the election. Abraham Lincoln’s main stand on politics were to abolish slavery and give more rights to African-Americans.“The North's victory meant the end of slavery in the South, a land …show more content…
“He publicly announced his support for limited black suffrage in Louisiana” (“Lincoln, Abraham”). Booth disagreed with Lincoln’s support of black suffrage or even abolishing slavery. “This open defiance of conservative opinion could only have strengthened the resolve of one in his audience, John Wilkes Booth” (“Lincoln, Abraham”). Booth did not like that Lincoln was trying to help African-Americans. He would've kidnapped him, but those plans changed. Booth was desperate.“For several months, actor John Wilkes Booth's band of conspirators had plotted to capture President Abraham Lincoln and hold him hostage in exchange for Confederate prisoners.” (Mierau) Booth had to do something. “With Confederate general Robert E. Lee's surrender on April 9, 1865, Booth became desperate. Our cause being almost lost, he wrote in his diary, something decisive and great must be done.” (Mierau). Booth became desperate, he had to do what was right for the Confederacy. The assassination was out of