The Death of a President

Today we explore what happened to the President and the country on, and after, April 14th, 1865.

First, listen to Mr. Rude tell the story of Lincoln's assassination and the broader conspiracy surrounding it.

Second, take a look at the following resources from Ford's Theater's online collection "Remembering Lincoln". These documents (and their transcriptions) will give you some context of how the people were feeling in the immediate days following Lincoln's assassination.

Use these questions to help organize your thoughts:

a. What is the mood in this person's writing?

b. Does the mood change at any point in the writing?

c. What words do you see commonly in this writing? In all of the writings?

d. How did this person feel about the President?

Emilie Davis Diary

Horatio Nelson Taft's Diary. His son attended to Lincoln

Johannes Oertel Diary

Oh Captain, My Captain poem. Check out the transcription team

Mary Henry Diary-Daughter or Smithsonian Inst. Manager

Canadian Newspaper article

Depiction of Lincoln's Coffin

Letter to Mary Todd Lincoln from Queen Victoria

Lastly, imagine if you were asked to say some words about President Lincoln at his funeral. What would you say? Fill out the following google form to answer what you would say about the President at his funeral.