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| Title | Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth's boot |
| Coverage / Year | April 14, 1865 |
| Description | John Wilkes Booth was wearing this boot the night that he shot Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theater in Washington D. C. After shooting Lincoln and stabbing Major Rathbone, Booth leapt from the Presidential Box. Catching his foot on bunting draped on the front of the Presidential Box, he fell to the stage, breaking his left foot. The boot is on exhibit at the Ford's Theater Museum, Washington D. C., a National Park Service site. |
| Interpretation | Booth quickly exited the theater where he had a horse waiting for a getaway. He met up with one of his accomplices. He went to the home of Dr. Samuel Mudd, where the boot was cut away in order to set his foot. Dr. Mudd was convicted of being an accomplice and served time in prison. Later efforts to clear his name were inconclusive. Other items on display in the Ford's Theater Museum include the knife that Booth used, Booth's diary, and the coat that Lincoln was wearing. The coat is beautifully quilted on the inside with a motif of American eagles. |
| Lesson Plans / Themes | Antebellum Society and the Civil War |
| Learning Standards | 14 Political systems; 16 History |
| Author or Creator | Illinois Heritage Association |
| Source | Ford's Theater Museum, Washington D.C. |
| Subject / Keywords | Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865; Civil War; Booth, John Wilkes, 1838-1865; Assassinations; Ford's Theater; Petersen House |
| Collection Publisher | Illinois Heritage Association
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| Further Information | For any further information related to this record, please contact the Collection Publisher. See http://images.library.uiuc.edu/projects/tdc for more information about this project. |
| Rights Management Statement | http://images.library.uiuc.edu/projects/tdc/conditions.htm |
| Resource Identifier | IHA00164 |
| CONTENTdm file name | 9683001432002_IHA00164.jpg |
