The Assassination

WHO:

Assassinator: John Wilkes Booth

WHERE:

Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C

During a production of Our American Cousin.

WHEN:                   

Good Friday, April 14, 1865

As the American Civil War was drawing to a close.

WHY:

Five days before the assassination, Robert E. Lee- a commanding general for the Army of Northern Virginia- surrendered to General Ulysses S.Grant. As part of a larger conspiracy

intended to rally the remaining Confederate troops to continue fighting, John Wilkes Booth was assigned to carry out the assassination of President Lincoln.

Booth plotted with Lewis Powell and George Atzerodt to kill Secretary of State William H. Seward and Vice President Andrew Johnson as well. By killing the top three in the Presidential line of succession, the desired results were to throw the Union Army into dismay. In the end, it was only President Lincoln's assassination that went according to plan; Powell only managed to wound Seward, while Atzerodt, Johnson's would-be assassin, lost his nerve and fled.

The Curse of the First Lady

Her name was Mary Todd Lincoln.

She appeared to be your typical first lady: she competed with the other wives of the social and political elite, remained a loyal and dotting wife to her husband the President and raised her children to fit in with Washington's society. But behind the veil that separated the Washington Mary Todd from the true Mary Todd, you'll find that she wasn't your average first lady: tragedy would soon strike the Lincoln family that would follow Mary through the rest of her life.                When the Lincoln family entered the White House, they were a happy family of 5. The Lincoln children- Tad, Willie and Robert- grew up in a very loving household with considerably "easy going" parents for the time. Willie was deemed a young Abraham Lincoln at a young age with his kind face and loving manners and was the apple of his mother's eye. It was Willie's early death that got the ball rolling for Mary Todd Lincoln's streak of turmoil.

The Lincoln family was extremely disheartened after young Willie's death and tragedy struck again as the Civil War was drawing to a close.

As Mary Todd and President Lincoln were sitting through a production of Our American Cousin at the Ford's Theatre in D.C, John Wilkes Booth entered their box and shot the President at point blank range. Mary Todd, witness to all, left the theatre a widow, donning a dress sprayed with the blood of her late husband.                                                          Mary was resistant in leaving the White House but eventually found herself settling in Chicago with her son Tad as Robert was making a life for himself as a lawyer. In her efforts of making a new life for herself, Mary found herself again in the midst of turmoil when the Great Chicago Fire hit leaving her and Tad in a city of destruction.

Various scandals later, including her battle with Congress to receive more money, Mary found herself moving abroad to make a new name for herself with Tad. But once again, Mary had to suffer through the death of another child as Tad became severely ill and died with his mother by his bedside.

Many years later with countless more scandals and a failed relationship with her son, Mary Todd was admitted into an insane asylum by her own son Robert.

Mary ended getting out of the asylum and patched things over with her only living son shortly before her death years later. Whether she was truly insane or extremely clever, history will always remember her as one of the more creative First Ladys.

Top 5 Abraham Lincoln Quotes

Number 5.

"Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

-Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863.

Number 4.

"Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today."

-"Notes for a Law Lecture" (July 1, 1850?), p. 81.

Number 3.

"...that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

-Gettysburg Address, November 19, 1863

Number 2.

"A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half-slave and half-free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved - I do not expect the house to fall - but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other."

-'House-Divided' Speech in Springfield, Illinois, June 16, 1858.

Number 1.

"The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country."

-Lincoln's Second Annual Message to Congress, December 1, 1862.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Abraham Lincoln to this day remains a stable media icon. From books to movies, the 16^th President has been portrayed in various forms starting from his death and well into the 21^st century. His incredible success while President, overall stature as a man, and iconic hat have all helped to make him such interesting character to portray.

               

 So, for the sheer purpose of this blog, I will unwillingly admit that I am also a big fan of Stephanie Meyers’ Twilight Saga. I have read all four books and have even been one of the crazed fans at the midnight movie premiere showings. I would like to disclaim that I have grown out of my vampire phase but the intrigue is still there. That’s why when I saw the book Abraham Lincoln:  

Vampire Hunter, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity read a story based on two of my obsessions.

Written by Seth Grahame-Smith, the story begins with a young Abraham Lincoln kneeling at his sick mother’s death bed in their infamous one-room cabin in Indiana. It was said that Lincoln’s mother died of what they used to call “Milk Sickness” and following her death, young Lincoln is presented with horrifying news - his mothers fatal death was actually the work of a vampire.  

“Gifted with legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.”  The story masterfully combines his victories in the White House such as the saving of the Union and freeing millions of slaves, and adds Lincoln’s own personal battles with immortals.

To read this book and enjoy it you do not have to like vampires or even have an interest in the life of Abraham Lincoln, but it is surely a fascinating book. Seth Graham-Smith successfully combines real historical facts with a vengeful twist of a son trying to avenge his mother’s death. It is also reported that the book will be made into a movie that is expected to be released in 2012. Now we can add one more Abraham Lincoln-based Hollywood creation to the long and growing list.

Priceless Words

 
Last Sunday (September 11th, 2011) was the 10 year anniversary of 9-11; a day when our nation's patriotism and nationalism we're put to the test. Our homeland was attacked by a foreign enemy and their acts of terrorism brought deaths in grueling numbers as well as memories we will never be able to shake. FoundersofAmerica.com created a special September 11th tribute page and included pictures of the disaster attached with quotations from various political and national figures. These quotes ranged from former President George W. Bush to another former President, Abraham Lincoln.

... in a larger sense, we can not dedicate --

we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow --

this ground. The brave men, living and dead,

who struggled here, have consecrated it,

far above our poor power to add or detract.

(Gettysburg, Nov. 19th, 1863)

These words hold profound meaning to a nation at war. We cannot take back what has been done, nor will we dwell on what we cannot change. I find Abraham Lincoln to be a man of advanced rhetoric. His incredible way with words was one of his greatest gifts that helped create his path to the White House. Like the 2nd George W. Bush, Lincoln was President for a nation at war. From the Civil War to the War on Terrorism, both men faced great obstacles and challenges while in the White House. In breaking down this quote, I found it amazing how it can still hold truth and value over a century later.

... in a larger sense, we can not dedicate --

we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow --

this ground.

In this quote, Abraham Lincoln is speaking of Gettysburg, the Civil War battle where almost fifty-thousand Union and Confederate soldiers lost their lives. The ground where the battle had been fought has become a marker, a symbol of all that has been lost. The same is also true with Ground Zero. Where the Twin Towers once stood is now far more nostalgic and monumental due to the disaster that occurred on that very plot of land. We can never build over or cover up the damaged land in hopes of erasing the memories. Gettysburg shows a once damaged nation and the sacrifices that occurred to rebuild and strengthen it. Ground Zero symbolizes the enemies that wish to do our country harm and our ability to prevail through hardship.

The brave men, living and dead,

who struggled here, have consecrated it,

far above our poor power to add or detract.

Where American lives have been lost, that land will now symbolize their struggles and honor the life of the departed. For every life lost at Gettysburg or on 9-11, there is no building big enough or tall enough to cover the land where our nation's brothers and sisters fell. There is no man power strong enough to rebuild on the lives of men and women who called themselves Americans. From the Civil War, through the World Wars, to the War on Terrorism, there is nothing that can or ever will mask the importance of an American life.

Honest Abe

I wish I could tell you why I have a fascination with Abraham Lincoln. Really, I wish I could. I have always been interested in history; especially the pre and post Civil War era. So, recently in the past year I began to read books on Abraham Lincoln in my free time and instantly became addicted to Lincoln's life and his family line. I understand this isn't your average blog where people will be itching to write a comment but I do hope by sharing my slightly above amateur knowledge, I can help other people to understand more about the 16th President's life and perhaps find the information interesting enough to share their own thoughts. Enjoy!