* Actor & Confederate patriot who became President Lincoln’s assassin on April 14, 1865
* Wanted revenge for the Confederacy’s defeat & end of slavery
* Many were involved in the plot, originally to kidnap the president to force Union recognition of the Confederacy
* Following Lee’s surrender, however, Booth changed his plan to kill Lincoln, VP Johnson, & Sec. State Seward
* At Ford’s Theater in Washington, Booth walked into the President’s box, shot him, stabbed another, and leapt to the stage to escape
* Co-conspirators wounded Seward but the attack on Johnson never took place
* Eight of Booth’s gang were convicted; four were hanged