Unable to reup in the theater in the aftermath of the tragedy and there was public outrage at the thought of continuing it as a theater. So they would basically be forced to sell the building to the War Department under stanton , who we have to thank otherwise the building would have been lost to history. For many years, the War Department utilized the theater as a Storage Facility for its war records. It wasnt until the latter part of the 19th century, early 20th century, that it became under the office of public buildings and grounds. When the National Park service acquire the structure, that is the year the agency went from just nature parks over to historical, cultural sites under franklin roosevelt. For many years, it was in area of the theater, a Lincoln Museum covering artifacts of lincolns life, his legacy. In the 1960s from 196419 68 it was restored back to its 1865 appearances you see it today. The official first play reopened on lincolns birthday, february 12, 1968. As you all know, the National Park service as a working relationship with our partners fords theater society, private nonprofit. Its certainly very unique as a historical entity. In mexico right interesting. While we rangers and staff interpret the historic significance for our visitors, our partners bring it to life as a working theater and in recognition of lincolns own legacy. The facade here, what sexy original would include the front facade structurally and the roof attic, and everything else, about 90 of the interior was redone in the 1960s. This building to the right here this is where our National ParkService Office is. That is where we work out of. This originally would have been the star saloon back in agency five, where John Wilkes Booth had gone into have a drink before he made his final entry back into the theater. We have today what is called the atlantic building. The theater was closed down several years back when we created an altogether new lobby for our theatergoers, and Ford Theater Society and their staff now when visitors, they dont go to the doors here as they did in the early days in 1860 five but come through the atlantic building. There are much more amenities there. From there, they into into the historic theater it self here. Here we have an actual wartime photograph of the theater. You can see looking at the facade here. The roof is all and tact is all intact. Bits of the building were done back in the 1960s, and you get an idea the conditions of the roads in every and how many taverns, saloons, and boarding houses were here. President lincoln the only president to attend the theater while in office was an avid theatergoer. He like to get away and immerse himself in the literature of william shakespeare. While carrying the country through the most disruptive war and history, the war between states, in which americans would perish. We have a picture of lincoln as a family man, mary lincoln, his lincoln also, when he would get away from the white house, in addition to going to the theater to watch shakespearean plays in particular, which he enjoyed was a retreat to the old cottage where he would reflect as well, gather his thoughts. The shakespearean dimension, and his enjoyment of shakespearean literature was almost therapeutic for lincoln, a very melancholic man dealing with the various tragedies that he had. The leak and family had four children altogether. Eddie, who died in infancy. And another one who died of typhoid figure, and tragically tad would die of tuberculosis. Mary lincoln lost three of her children. The only one to lead make it to adulthood would be robert todd lincoln. Mary lincoln is a very interesting topic. The madness the madness of mary lincoln, is one of the best works that does justice to her. Here we have president lincoln, the mark of war, showing the four years of caring the countries carrying the country through the conflict. It was believed that that picture was taken place around april 10, 18 65, just days before his assassination. You get the idea of how much he has aged during the years of all the challenges. John wilkes booth, shakespearean actor, he was part of a renowned acting family. The move family booth family was from maryland. He had two other brothers who were also famous actors. John wilkes along with his brothers were quite renowned in the 1850s and 1860s, performing on stage many of the shakespearean classics, such as hamlet mcbeth, Julius Caesar. He was comparable to the most renowned star the physic of today back in his own time. At the same time that he was renowned before the American Public as an actor, he thought of himself primarily as a southern actor, while his other brother was more prominent in the northern states. John wilkes was not the refined actor that his brother was. I would say, he was not an unsuccessful actor, he had a different style. His style tended to be more renowned and in scenes involving action. At the same time, again, the American Public has no idea of John Wilkes Booths southern proclivities. When the war begins, no one has any idea that will go on for four years including John Wilkes Booth. John wilkes booth becomes more and more convinced in his own mind that president lincolns attempt to create his own country was ultimately responsible for all of this death and destruction particularly upon the people of the south. In order to understand John Wilkes Booth frame of mind, and this is kind of my idiosyncratic take. You have to understand something which i will call liberties of classical republicanism. That is going back to an Older Society in older idea in society, a creed that all men are created equal, as lincoln quotes in his gettysburg address, referring to jeffersons declaration of independence. What i would argue also is that while lincoln did preserve the union of the states geographically, the regime itself was transformed one from what i would call a republic to a naturalized democracy. If you go back to the framing in philadelphia, when the framers established the government, they thought of it primarily as a republic, as opposed to a democracy. You do not see the words democracy in the United States constitution. It refers to a republic. As a result of the war, i would argue that the United States became more democratic. A dement democratic republic, overshadowing the republic. No one wrote about this more eloquently than the french aristocrat, took a. John wilkes booths father was a successful actor in his own day. The temperament of Junius Brutus booth, john wilkes inherited and was similar in acting styles. Here we have a photo of the booth brothers in the play, Julius Caesar. John wilkes booth was essentially the mastermind of a group of conspirators. When talking about the events leading up to the minute and late 1854, spring 1865, as you get close to the war, it is important to differentiate between a conspiracy to abduct lincoln and a conspiracy t assassinate him. John wilkes booth was looking to not assassinate him. Im number of agents that John Wilkes Booth had contact with, particularly when he went north into canada, he had a number of meetings and rhonda those with confederate agents a Confederate Secret Service that was established to monitor lincolns movements. This came about as a result of a number of factors, one of which was the dog render aid, an unsuccessful attempt to take down richmond, the capital of the confederacy. There was a union core that was ambushed and papers were found to burn the white house of the confederacy, and also if possible to kill jefferson davis. When these work their way up the chain into the confederate high command, that is where you begin to see systematically confederate gold going towards the formation of a confederate clandestine operation to undertake possibly kidnapping lincoln for retaliation. John wilkes booths motivation behind the kidnapping was largely due to determination of exchange between prisoners of war of the north and south. Lincoln implemented this at the gesture of grant to wear down the manpower of the confederacy. If this had been successful, is John Wilkes Booth had successfully kidnap lincoln, he may thereby be able to reverse the plan and keep the war going on in definitely. Here we have 1865. A depiction of a theater box where lincoln was seated on that night. You notice, frame is a print of george washington. That print was placed there by the ford brothers in order to it would have served as more or less the president ial field, like we have today, but since i did not exist in 1865. That is one of the few original artifacts that we still have in the theater itself. Many of the original artifacts are down in our museum. We do have some artifacts across the street from the fords theatre, in what is called the center for education as well. Resident lincoln would have been seated here in the rocking chair. That rocking chair is now in t a museum. It made it possible way to the its way to the museum. Mary lincoln sitting right here. There were two guests in the boxes on the night of april 19. President lincoln was watching a comedy. The play, american cousin , was essentially a satirical comedy and the leading actress, laura keene, that particular night it was the 1000 performance. Harry hawk played the american cousin. He was the only one on the stage when johns book whose John Wilkes Booth left on the stage about halfway during the play. Here we are showing you the rear side of the fords theatre. The alley is still there. This was taking many taken many years after 1855. Bay windows here. Originally this window here would have been a doorway and that would have been where John Wilkes Booth escaped and had a horse waiting for him in alley. An area of major activity on the night of april 14 1865. John wilkes booth, when he came to fords theatre on the morning of the 14th at around 11 00 to get his mail, he would go there frequently to get his mail because that is frequently where actors would pick up their correspondents, where they worked. He was informed that Abraham Lincoln would be at the play that night which upon knowing this, set in motion his plans methodically, involving not only assassinating lincoln, but also assassinating his secretary. You all know, of course, John Wilkes Booth was successful. Right here, the location of the kirkwood house at 12 and pennsylvania avenue, that is where johnson was staying. During the afternoon of the 14th, John Wilkes Booth did stop at the kirkwood house and asked the clerk to stick a card in johnsons box where he wrote, dont wish to disturb you, are you at home . Some historians think that booth did that in order to frame johnson in case george did not carry out his plan to kill johnson, which in fact he did not. Heres the theater. The house across the street, is where lincoln died. George has a difficult feat and never carries it out. He was staying in the same house where johnson was, was supposed to go up to his room that same night and shoot him. Instead, he flees, goes to german town, and weapons were found in his room with a 24 hours of president lincolns assassination. Up here, this was the rogers house, where the secretary of state was recovering from a carriage accident. This is where lewis powell, who along with david harrelold waiting outside, did successfully make it inside the home of seward, with the pretense of carrying medicine was able to get inside his room first clubbing his sign with the but of his revolver. Once he gets into his room where seward is in bed, he stabs him repeatedly. A neck brace that he was wearing from the accident is what saves them. At the same time, president lincoln was shot. Altogether, about five people were assaulted. Powell flees out of the house. David harold, hearing all the commi commotion, gets spooked and leaves pal. Powell. Powell will wind up at the boarding house of mary surat and looks very suspicious being taken in for questioning. This right here, the herndon house, just east of the fords theatre is where the conspirators had their final meeting that evening given their assignments. It is where there is now a jw marriott building. This over here the National Hotel no longer stands. It was torn down in 1942, but that is where John Wilkes Booth stayed on a number of occasions. It is believed that that is where he woke that morning of the 14th, and also where John Wilkes Booth met on a number of occasions with johnson aren surat and another conspirator in the plan to abduct lincoln. Two people in the theater box with the lincolns, major henry out of the union army and his fiancee, clara harris. They were invited at the last minute by the lincolns. Originally, the lincolns had invited the grants to be in the theater box with them that night. Grant regretfully informed lincoln that they would not be able to attend, they had taken a train up to new jersey. There was a reason for this. Mrs. Grant and mrs. Lincoln didnt get along very well. In fact, they couldnt stand each other. [laughter] mrs. Grant had made it known to mr. Rap that she would not be cooped up with mary lincoln. There had been some disagreements back in february of 1865. Once again, showing you in the immediate aftermath of lincolns assassination, again, clara harris was seated here. Behind her, on a love so fafa was the major. Here we have, showing you at the moment, John Wilkes Booth entered in act iii scene two. People thought when he arrives that maybe he would pay his respects to mr. Lincoln. There was no systematic president ial protection. There was no secret service. It was more customary than mandatory for guard to be outside lincolns box that night. Using his fame to his advantage, he talked his way and. If you go, there is a invest vestibule hall. I think most likely booth would have gone through the door marked box eight, based on a goal from which lincoln was shot. Only one shot. He has the backup, the knife in case that failed. He was hoping grant would be there, because he wanted to take out grant as well. The major when booth fire the weapon, it was during the funniest line of the play the bullet muffles the line. He took the knife and stabbed the major. When lincoln is shot, he is immediately knocked out. Mary doesnt realize what happens until shortly afterwards. This all happens very quickly. She thought initially that presently can had dozed off. John wilkes booth leads over the baluster leaps over the baluster after stabbing the major. The major tries to grab them by his coat. He falls on stage and possibly breaks his leg, or something in his leg, and with the bloody dagger in his hand, he utters the words tyrannosaus making a public utterance letting it be known that it was he. That is what is so unique of his assassination. When you think of assassins, you think of snipers, people who conceal their identity. Booth wants it to be known that it was him because he thinks he will be held as a hero from people of the south. What is interesting about this and no better historian has delved into this more than Michael Kaufman is the analogy to brutus going back in agent history. John wilkes booth is very much influenced by the analogy of brutus who stabs Julius Caesar to prevent the country becoming an empire. He tries to save his beloved republic from tyranny. He hoped it backfired. We all know this was done on good friday. The timing of the assassination was totally opposite from anything that booth could have done. Here we have booth fleeing on the stage. People see John Wilkes Booth. This is not very accurate because when people saw him on the stage, as the fleet off they thought it was part of the play. All recognize that he was an actor. They had no idea what had happened. Dr. Charles leale, he is the first to treat president lincoln. After booth fleed altogether, no more than probably 15 or 20 seconds had a elapsesed. The major had shouted, stop that man, but it was too late. He is the first to enter into the theater box, sees the blood on the floor he sees the unconscious lincoln, lays it down on the floor, sees the stab wounds, cant find anything, and he is the one who discovers the bullet wound in the back just above the left ear. He examines the point of entry, and admid immediately knew they were was fatal. They had to get him to a bed, otherwise, he would die in the theater. They did not know he wouldnt linger on as long as he did nine hours, so the decision was made to carry him to the closest place they can find with a bed. A surgeon also assisted in the box, laura keene, the actress was also believed to come. They step out, just in front of fords theatre dark at night, they see some row houses in front, the doctor pondering if there was a spare bed. They walked presently can body up and back down. Henry stafford, a house owned by the petersons. As he sees the unconscious lincoln being held across the street from the fords theatre he cries out to the men, bring him in here. So sp spontaneously, the 16th president would be carried up the stairs there, and at the end of the first floor of the house, a bed readily available, but too short for president lincoln, he would be placed diagonally. This room normally was occupied by a union clerk, who was out that night, celebrating the end of the war. The bed frame was six feet, lincoln was 64. His torso would be propped up on the pillows, feet hagan off the other corner. The doctors monitoring his vital signs throughout the night. Several doctors would come and go including lincolns personal physician, surgeon barnes. He wouldnt make an attempt, with a pro to extract the bullet from lincolns head where it is lodged behind his right eye. That may have hastened lincolns death. The next morning, he would draw his last breath. There we have an actual photo of the room, the bed, the bloodstained