John Wilkes Booth remains a notorious figure in American history, forever linked to the tragic assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. While remembered for this infamous act, Booth was also a celebrated actor from a prominent theatrical family. But Who Was John Wilkes Booth beyond the act that defined his legacy?
Born on May 10, 1838, in Bel Air, Maryland, John Wilkes Booth was raised in a family deeply rooted in the world of theatre. His father, Junius Brutus Booth, was a renowned Shakespearean actor of English descent, though his mother, Mary Ann Holmes, was initially his mistress. Growing up, Booth was known for his athleticism and charisma, excelling in extracurricular pursuits, even if his academic studies were less of a priority. He attended schools in Bel Air, Sparks, and Cantonsville, Maryland, before naturally gravitating towards the stage, following in his father’s footsteps.
Booth quickly established himself as a successful actor, captivating audiences with performances in plays like Richard III. From 1855 to 1865, he toured extensively along the East Coast, gaining recognition and acclaim for his theatrical talents. His final stage appearance occurred on March 18, 1865, at Ford’s Theatre in Washington D.C., ironically the same location where his name would become eternally entwined with tragedy. In The Apostate, he played the role of Duke Pescara, unknowingly foreshadowing a dramatic and devastating act that would soon unfold on that very stage.
Beyond the stage, John Wilkes Booth was deeply involved in the political currents of his time, particularly in the years leading up to and during the American Civil War. In his youth, he aligned himself with the Know Nothing movement, an anti-immigrant political party reflecting the nativist sentiments of the era. Booth was a staunch supporter of slavery and vehemently opposed to abolitionist movements, mirroring the deep divisions tearing through the nation. In 1859, while preparing for a theatrical performance in Richmond, Virginia, his political passions led him to join a local militia unit to witness the execution of abolitionist John Brown, a figure who polarized the country. Booth’s animosity towards President Abraham Lincoln was well-known; he openly criticized the Lincoln administration on multiple occasions, fueled by his Confederate sympathies and pro-slavery beliefs.
This simmering political fervor culminated in a dark conspiracy during the winter of 1864-65. Booth and a group of conspirators initially plotted to kidnap President Lincoln, hoping to leverage him for the release of Confederate prisoners. However, as the Confederacy weakened and the war drew to a close, their plans shifted to assassination.
On the fateful night of April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth once again entered Ford’s Theatre, this time with deadly intent. President Lincoln and First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln were attending a performance of Our American Cousin. Exploiting his familiarity with the theatre and a lapse in security, Booth managed to bypass Lincoln’s bodyguard and stealthily entered the presidential box. With a single shot from his pistol, Booth fired into the back of President Lincoln’s head. In the ensuing chaos, he also stabbed Major Henry Rathbone, who attempted to intervene. Booth then leaped from the box onto the stage, reportedly breaking his left leg in the fall. As he made his escape, he shouted “Sic Semper Tyrannis,” a Latin phrase meaning “thus always to tyrants,” famously associated with Brutus’s assassination of Julius Caesar, further cementing his act as a politically motivated assassination in his mind.
Booth fled Washington D.C., embarking on a southward journey, seeking refuge with Confederate sympathizers and, unknowingly, some unsuspecting individuals along the way. He crossed the Potomac River into Virginia on April 23rd, desperately trying to evade capture. However, his escape was short-lived. On the morning of April 26th, troopers from the 16th New York Cavalry cornered Booth at Richard Garrett’s farm near Port Royal, Virginia. His accomplice, David Herold, surrendered to authorities, but Booth refused, barricading himself inside Garrett’s barn. The pursuing cavalrymen set the barn ablaze. Amidst the flames, Sergeant Boston Corbett, a Union soldier, claimed to have seen Booth aiming his pistol. Corbett fired his revolver, striking Booth in the neck, severing his spinal cord and causing paralysis. John Wilkes Booth died approximately three hours later from the gunshot wound. His last words, uttered as he looked at his hands, were a poignant reflection on his shattered ambitions: “Useless, useless, useless.” John Wilkes Booth was buried in an unmarked grave within the family plot at Green Mount Cemetery in Baltimore, his final resting place shrouded in the same infamy that defined his final act on the stage of history.
