Abraham Lincoln’s assassination is a pivotal moment in American history, often attributed to the immediate aftermath of the Civil War. While the surrender of the Confederacy and the nation’s divide certainly formed the backdrop, the motivations of John Wilkes Booth, Lincoln’s assassin, were deeply rooted in racial ideology and political outrage. Booth’s deadly act was not merely a reaction to the Confederacy’s defeat, but a violent outburst against Lincoln’s evolving stance on Black rights.
Shortly after the conclusion of the Civil War, President Lincoln delivered a speech advocating for voting rights for Black men, particularly veterans. John Wilkes Booth, a staunch supporter of the Confederacy and white supremacy, was present in the audience. Booth was incensed by Lincoln’s proposition, reportedly declaring, “That is the last speech he will ever make.” True to his word, just three days later, Booth fatally shot President Lincoln.
Susannah Koerber, chief curator and research officer at the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, and co-curator of the “Influencing Lincoln” exhibit, highlights this critical connection. “The declaration by Booth is well known among Lincoln scholars,” Koerber explains, “But when we’ve talked to people about the exhibition, most are unaware there’s this connection between Lincoln moving toward advocating for greater rights for Black people – including voting – and John Wilkes Booth’s decision to kill him.” This perspective underscores that Booth’s motive was not simply about the losing side of the war, but profoundly about racial equality.
The assassination occurred on April 14, 1865, just after 10 p.m., and Lincoln passed away the following morning at 7:22 a.m. This was a mere week after Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s surrender to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox, signaling the near end of the Civil War. Richmond, the Confederate capital, had already fallen. Despite the Confederacy’s imminent collapse, Booth’s commitment to white supremacy fueled his actions.
Koerber further explains that Booth had initially been involved in a plot to kidnap Lincoln. However, even with the Confederacy’s defeat undeniable, Booth’s “stance against the idea of equality, his embrace of white supremacy, was so strong that he thought it was grounds for killing Lincoln.” His actions reveal a deep-seated ideology that went beyond mere political allegiance to the Confederacy; it was a visceral reaction against the possibility of racial equality.
The Confederacy itself was founded on the principle of slavery and racial inequality. As Koerber points out, “The Confederacy had touted itself as the first nation built on the cornerstone of slavery.” She references the “Cornerstone Speech” by Alexander Stephens, the Vice President of the Confederacy, where he explicitly rejected the Declaration of Independence’s assertion that “all men are created equal.” Stephens argued that this foundational principle was a mistake, and the Confederacy was established on the principle of inequality.
This stark contrast highlights the ideological battle at the heart of the Civil War and Booth’s actions. Lincoln’s commitment to equality, symbolized by the Declaration of Independence, stood in direct opposition to Booth’s white supremacist beliefs and the Confederacy’s core tenets. The “Influencing Lincoln” exhibit starts with a quote from the Declaration of Independence to emphasize the importance of the statement “all men are created equal” to those fighting for civil rights and to Lincoln himself, especially within the Black community who sought to realize this promise. Booth’s extreme reaction to Lincoln’s move towards equality is thus intrinsically linked to his fervent support for the Confederacy and its ideology.
Frederick Douglass, the renowned abolitionist, orator, and author, delivered a powerful eulogy for Lincoln, recognizing his significance in the fight for racial equality. Douglass stated that Lincoln “was the first American president who rose above the prejudices of his time and country.” He further emphasized, “Abraham Lincoln, while unsurpassed in his devotion to the welfare of the white race, was also in a sense hitherto without example emphatically the Black man’s president, the first to show any respect for their rights as men.” Douglass’s words encapsulate Lincoln’s pivotal role in advancing Black rights, a role that tragically culminated in his assassination by John Wilkes Booth, driven by racial hatred and opposition to equality.
In conclusion, John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln primarily because of Lincoln’s growing advocacy for Black rights, particularly the right to vote. This motivation was deeply entrenched in Booth’s unwavering belief in white supremacy and his allegiance to the Confederate cause, which fundamentally opposed the notion of racial equality. Booth’s act was a desperate and violent attempt to halt the progress towards equality that Lincoln represented, marking a dark chapter in American history rooted in racial intolerance.
