How Lincoln's Killer Was Hunted Down: The Most Bizarre Manhunt In American History

How was President Abraham Lincoln murdered on Good Friday 1865, at Ford’s Theatre, just five days after Robert E. Lee’s surrender? Who was John Wilkes Booth, the racist actor with southern sympathies, who assassinated him? How did he escape before the shocked eyes of the packed theatre, and evade his captors to go on the run? Would they get him in the end? And, what were the long term repercussions of Lincoln’s assassination for the future of race relations in the USA? Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss, in remarkable detail, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the man who did it, and the thrilling manhunt that ensued, the impact of Lincoln’s death upon the future of America. Go to https://surfshark.com/TRIH or use code TRIH at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @restishistorypod   Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook 00:00 Introduction: Lincoln’s assassination, aftermath, funeral, and manhunt preview 02:05 Booth’s acting style and background recap 03:05 Setting the scene at Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865 07:42 The conspiracy to assassinate multiple leaders 08:40 Booth approaches the presidential box 09:47 Peephole myth and actual origin 10:25 Booth waits for the comedic punchline in the play 11:05 The killer strikes 12:40 Booth’s leap to the stage and leg injury 13:34 Conflicting eyewitness accounts of Booth’s words 14:59 Booth escapes 16:20 Scene in the presidential box after the shooting 18:56 Decision to move Lincoln across the street 19:42 Lincoln taken to the Petersen House 20:28 Mary Lincoln’s shock and grief 21:03 Edwin Stanton takes charge 22:06 Lincoln’s final hours and Mary’s exclusion from the room 22:57 Lincoln dies: “Now he belongs to the ages” 23:09 Mary Lincoln’s reaction and later accusations of theft 24:23 Tad Lincoln’s grief and final words about his father 26:02 Public mourning and funeral arrangements 28:06 Lincoln’s body returns to Illinois 28:41 Surfshark 30:00 Manhunt begins for John Wilkes Booth 31:30 Failed assassination of VP Johnson by Atzerodt 32:07 Lewis Powell’s attack on Secretary Seward 33:07 Powell’s escape and arrest 34:35 Execution of co-conspirators 34:53 Booth’s escape route 48:54 Union cavalry arrives 53:39 Booth’s self-mythologizing as “American Brutus” 54:21 Did Lincoln’s death change history? 55:59 Radical Republican reactions to Lincoln’s death 57:28 The limits of one man’s power to change race relations 58:39 Lincoln’s martyrdom and lasting reputation 1:00:44 Tolstoy’s tribute to Lincoln Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett Social Producer: Harry Balden Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor