A photo of Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address on March 4th, 1865, captures a significant moment in history.
In the upper portion of the photo, John Wilkes Booth can be seen. Sadly, Booth would go on to assassinate Lincoln just 42 days later.
Booth later expressed regret for not seizing the opportunity to strike while being so close to the president. In his diary, after witnessing Lincoln’s speech, he wrote, “What an excellent chance I had, if I wished, to kill the President on Inauguration day!”
At the time of his second inaugural address, Lincoln was leading the nation through the American Civil War and had secured his re-election handily in November 1864. The event took place on March 4, 1865, with Lincoln delivering his address on the steps of the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. Booth stood among the spectators in the stands above, watching the proceedings.
Tragically, Booth would later form a group of conspirators with the intention of not only assassinating Lincoln but also targeting Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William Seward. This multi-part podcast series delves into the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the plot to kill Johnson and Seward, and the two-week manhunt for John Wilkes Booth, the man responsible for Lincoln’s death.
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