On April 9, 1865, the Commander of the Confederate Army, Robert E. Lee, surrendered. He had lost the Civil War, and over the next few months the fighting would stop, the war would end, and the United States would remain one nation. Slaves would be freed. The world was looking up for Abraham Lincoln, his Cabinet, and for the citizens of America. Well, most of them. For those who believed in the Confederacy States, this was terrible, depressing news. They had lost the war, their vision of America would not be realized, and their livelihoods were at risk.

Spontaneous parades had erupted in the streets of Washington, DC, since the news of Lee's surrender reached the public. The night of April 14, 1865 was no different, a parade of celebratory citizens marched throughout the capitol city, and past the White House. Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln were running late heading to Ford's Theatre for a much deserved night out together. They were going to see the hilarious new play, Our American Cousin.

John Wilkes Booth had other plans. He was one of America's most famous actors, and he was a staunch supporter of the Confederacy. Booth was.angry, and wanted revenge. He plotted with friends to kill the president, Vice President Andrew Johnson, Commanding Army General Ulysses S. Grant, and Secretary of State William Seward all in one night, leaving the Union with no leadership.

Ulysses S. Grant and his wife were supposed to attend the play with Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln. They cancelled their plans last minute and instead chose to go home to New York. He was tired. He had just accepted the surrender of Robert E. Lee, and had effectively won the Civil War. Grant would go on to become the 18th President of the United States, serve two terms, and lived until the age of 63 in 1885.

Andrew Johnson escaped death because the man assigned to kill him, George Atzerodt, couldn't go through with it. Johnson became the 17th President of the United States. He finished out Lincoln's term, but lost the nomination for president to Ulysses S. Grant. Johnson lived until the age of 66 in 1875.

William Seward was at home recovering from a carriage injury that had nearly killed him. He managed to survive the stab wounds that Lewis Powell inflicted on him on the night of April 14, 1865. He remained on as Secretary of State through Andrew Johnson's term. During that time, he brokered a deal with Russia to purchase the land that is today the state of Alaska. There is a town named after him: Seward, Alaska. He lived until the age of 71, in 1872.

Abraham Lincoln did not survive his mortal wound to the head. He died the next morning at the age of 56. He had won the war. Freedom for all and the survival of the United States of America were achieved. You can visit many sites throughout the country that are dedicated to Lincoln, including his birth place in Kentucky, his boyhood home in Illinois, the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, Ford's Theatre in Washington, DC, and Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota.

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