Brian Ross
Ms. Silvey English 3G
02 February 2015
Sic semper Tyrannis (The South is avenged) yelled John Wilkes Booth after jumping off the balcony, shooting the President. Actor to killer. John Wilkes Booth was famous for his parts in many roles in theater. Who would know his most famous act would be in the role of killing the President. John Wilkes Booth would go down in American history not for acting but for killing. I am going to explain why his reputation in American history is deserved. Booth looking at his past it is hard to understand why he would go down this dark path. John Wilkes Booth was born May 10, 1838, near Bel Air, Maryland. Booth followed in his father’s footsteps and became an actor. At age 17, he made his first…show more content… Booth ultimately gave up acting to focus on these schemes, and spent a lot of money to buy supplies for his group kidnappers. On March 17 his second plan was to capture Lincoln as he traveled in his carriage collapsed when the president changed his itinerary-- and several of Booth’s conspirators left the group (“John Wilkes Booth”). After his kidnapping plans were ruined , Booth resolved to go a far greater extreme (“John Wilkes Booth”). John Wilkes Booth, a southern sympathizing actor, walked up the stairs to an inferior place. He showed a card to one of Lincoln’s guards and was allowed access through a hallway leading to the presidential box. When getting to the box, Booth threw open the door. The president was sitting in his chair, next to his wife enjoying the play. About a distance of four feet behind Lincoln (“Linder”). On April 14, 1865 , about 10 p.m., Booth shot and killed Lincoln while he was watching a famous play at Washington, D.C.’s Ford Theater. Lincoln was there with his…show more content… While searching through Dr. Mudd home the investigators found a booth that had J Wilkes written in it (“Linder”). Then investigators showed Mudd a photo of Booth and he stilled said he didn’t recognize him. When questioning other people who knew Mudd it was said that Mudd was seen with Booth earlier that month (“Linder”). Later investigators learned that Mudd was a conspirator of Booth’s (“Linder”). Now it was a manhunt. Why so many others protected Booth not everyone investigators questioned will protect him. Investigators were so close when they got to this man's home and asked him if he saw Booth and he told investigators that he saw two men run into the woods (“Linder”). When the investigators went into the woods they found a barn. The barn that is where Booth and David was hiding. Investigators had the barn surrounded they told the men to come out with their hands up in the air. David came out willing Booth did not (“Linder”). The investigators took David into their custody. Booth said “Well boys prepare a stretcher for me” (Linder). The lead investigator told another to light the barn on