No presidential assassination is inconsequential, but Abraham Lincoln’s murder was a pivotal moment in our nation’s history. It set the tone for the lengthy and contentious Reconstruction Era – though perhaps not the way in which his assassin, John Wilkes Booth, and co-conspirators intended.

Learn all about Booth, his conspiracy to behead the Union, and Lincoln’s final hours from the experts at James A. Garfield National Historic Site. You’ll discover:

  • how Booth was able to target and kill Lincoln so easily
  • the story of the first woman ever executed by the US government
  • the surprising connection between Edwin Booth (the assassin’s brother) and Robert Lincoln (the president’s son.)

Our Civil War series continues at noon on Wednesday, May 8, at our Main Branch. We’ll learn about the Fourteenth Amendment. As always, the talk is free and open to all.

By the way, if you’re interested in Civil War history, several talks in our Civil War series can be viewed online in their entirety, including: