John Wilkes Booth

John Wilkes Booth, though remembered for being the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln, was also a famous actor in the 19th century. He was born on May 10, 1838 to a family well known for their acting. Also in the business were John’s brother Edwin and his father Junius. John got into acting when his father died. He felt that he “must have fame! fame!” and follow in his fathers footsteps. John made his debut at 17 years old. He played the Earl of Richmond in Richard III by William Shakespeare. He acted again two years later, but “frequently missed cues and forgot his lines”. During the height of Booth’s career, he made about $20,000 a year and acted in shows including Romeo and Juliet, The Apostate, Julius Caesar, The Taming of the Shrew, and many others. On April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln attended Our American Cousin, at Ford’s Theater. Booth also attended the show that night, but for a different cause. He went to the theater, snuck up behind President Lincoln, and shot him in the back of the head. The bullet killed Lincoln, and Booth ran and hid for 12 days until he was found sleeping in a tobacco barn. After refusing to leave the barn, it was set on fire and Booth was shot to death.

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