An Analysis Of Mary Surratt's Assassination

In 1865 President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated while watching a play in Ford’s theatre. His killer was John Wilkes Booth, a famous actor. Many people in the USA today think Booth was the mastermind behind it all. But was he really? Mary Surratt also associated with the assassination had a huge part in it too. Mary Surratt was not only involved, but a mastermind in Lincoln’s assassination.

Assassinating Lincoln was not always the plan. “Originally they were going to kidnap him and hold him ransom to get back Confederate army troops” (“Timeline: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln”). This plan however did not work. “Lincoln was to have been captured while on his way to Campbell Hospital outside Washington. It failed because Lincoln

Booth was a very famous actor who Lincoln ironically really liked. “Booth got into the box Lincoln was in and shot him in the back of the head. He then leaped onto the stage and broke his leg. The crowd thought it was part of the play until Ms. Lincoln screamed from the box above. He hobbled into the back and rode off on his horse to a doctor named Samuel Mudd. Mudd repaired Booth’s leg. Booth then rode to Surratt’s tavern and returned the “shooting irons”. He then hid in a barn and had a standoff with the military who was tracked him down. He wouldn’t come out and give himself up, so they shot him in the neck” (“Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination”). Booth died and they looked for others who were involved including Mary Surratt. Lincoln died the next morning, but the other two parts of the plan didn’t succeed so the Confederates didn’t come to power. “Lewis Powell attacked Secretary of State William Seward in his bed, slashing Seward’s face and inflicting a serious wound. George Atzerodt was responsible for assassinating Andrew Johnson, but instead went to a bar and got drunk.” (“Timeline: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln”). This is how the actual assassination and attempted assassinations happened. Although Mary Surratt did not do any assassinating she still came up with the plans for these