Killing Lincoln

“Lincoln’s top advisers tell him assassination is not the American way, but he knows he’s a candidate for martyrdom.” 

The narrative paints the picture that Lincoln knows he is marked for death due to the anger and resentment of the South. During this period, it was common for politicians to assault other politicians, even in settings like the floor of the Senate. 

“As with the nuggets of information he’d learned as a quartermaster, Grant tucked these observations away and then made keen tactical use of them during the Civil War.” 

Grant is able to use the information he’s gathered as a soldier conducting different tasks to read his enemies, enemies who were once his friends and fellow soldiers. Grant later employs these skills to end the war with Lee’s surrender.

“They have become a team during the war. Or, as Lincoln puts it, ‘Grant is my man, and I am his.’” 

This quote highlights how influential Grant is in winning the war, as well as how instrumental he is to Lincoln’s view of success. Grant shares his president’s perspective and also strives toward reunification as opposed to punishment for traitors.

“Outrage about Lincoln’s pursuit of the war has many calling for his death—even in the North.” 

The quote underscores the assassination attempt that builds throughout the narrative and culminates in Lincoln’s murder. Northern industry benefited from Southern slave labor, and so it makes sense that there would be a group of those in the North who sought getting Lincoln out of office however possible. 

“The Confederate president had set aside more than $1 million in gold to pay for acts of espionage and intrigue against the Union.” 

This quote highlights how Booth was able to carry out his plan to harm the president. If it wasn’t for the active involvement of the South and Booth’s co-conspirators, the plan might have never been realized.

“Sometimes knowing when not to fight is just as important to a general’s success as knowing how to fight.” 

Although Lee wants to fight in a last-ditch show of glory, he knows that his troops depend on him and that the greater victory would be to live to fight another day. With this in mind, he uncharacteristically negotiates surrender.

“‘I would rather die a thousand deaths,’ he said.” 

Lee is a proud man, and he would rather fight until the end than to surrender to Grant. Even while going to surrender, his pride is wounded by the act. However, his pride is never more valued than the lives of his men.

“The people need to hear the truth, even though that’s not what they want to hear. The crowd wants retribution, not reconciliation.” 

With the war over, the North wants to hear that the South will suffer for all the death and bloodshed. Lincoln knows this, but he also knows he must speak the truth, which is the need for reunification and leniency.

“The one thing he is not allowed to do is engage in ‘black flag warfare.’ Or in a word: murder.” 

The Confederacy was complicit in Booth’s plan for kidnapping, but the South apparently drew the line at murder due to its immoral nature. Booth ignored this once Lee surrendered to Grant. 

“For a nation founded by rebellion and torn open by a civil war, the citizens of the United States have been remarkably nonviolent when confronted with politicians they despise.” 

Although America is founded on war and bloodshed, this violence never spilled into the political realm of actively seeking harm against single political figures until Lincoln’s assassination.

“‘Whichever way the war ends, I have the impression that I shall not last long after it is over.’” 

Lincoln tells this to the writer Harriet Beecher Stowe, with the implication being that he is foreseeing his own death. Lincoln’s seeming awareness of his impending death is prevalent throughout the narrative. He expresses this sentiment to various individuals, none of whom act on his suspicion.

“Lincoln is one of the best speakers in America, if not the world.” 

This quote highlights the fact that, had Lincoln wanted to, he could have soothed the crowds and told them what they wanted to hear. Instead, he speaks the truth without fanfare, underscoring his honestly and good nature.

“The White House’s open-door policy ends today.” 

Up until Lincoln’s assassination, petitioners could access the White House, with many even sleeping on the floors, so that they could speak with the president. The White House was seen as a house of the people, until Lincoln’s assassination.

“Every aspect of Lincoln’s early morning has the feel of a man putting his affairs in order.” 

Once again, the narrative indicates that Lincoln not only believes he will be killed, but he suspects he will be killed on this very night. Despite these uncanny feelings, Lincoln proceeds with the planned event—an action which the authors find strange and noteworthy.

“A compassionate man, he tries more to ease the lingering pain than to merely keep the peace.” 

This quote highlights Lincoln’s gentle nature and compassion, in that he doesn’t merely want to appease his wife or pay her lip service but help her with the pain of losing two of their children. He also wants to support her through her mental illness.

“The twofold challenge he now faces is the traditional assassin’s plight.” 

The quote highlights how Booth must not only be concerned with killing the president, which is arguably the easiest part of an assassination plot, but the dire plight of escaping once he completes the murder.

‘“I do not want to go.’ Lincoln says it like a man facing a death sentence.” 

In the narrative, Lincoln invites half a dozen people to the theatre and they all refuse. With the ominous feel of the night, Lincoln tells his bodyguard that he doesn’t really want to attend the theatre. The authors again illustrate how despite his hesitancy, Lincoln proceeded with the infamous outing.

“Sic semper tyrannis.” 

This is the motto of the Virginia Commonwealth and is supposedly uttered by Booth after he kills Lincoln. It means “death always to tyrants,” and the phrase is symbolic of how Booth views Lincoln—not as a leader but a tyrant.

“‘When I leave the stage I will be the most talked about man in America.’” 

This tongue-in-cheek response by Booth hits back at someone who tells him he will never be as good as his father, but it also foreshadows his infamous role as Lincoln’s assassin. It also supports the notion that Booth dramatized and performed the assassination, as if it were a grand role.

“One Country, one destiny.” 

This motto is sewn onto a banner that is on Lincoln’s trademark overcoat. It underscores all of Lincoln’s efforts, chiefly to unite the divided nation. It could be said that Lincoln’s death served to unite his country in mourning, and he had accepted his destiny to be the first assassinated president of the United States.

‘“Our country owed all her troubles to him, and God simply made men the instrument of his punishment.” 

Booth has obvious delusions of grandeur. In this quote, he sees himself as an instrument of God’s wrath and not a disillusioned man with a personal grudge. Booth also villainized Lincoln in the extreme, focusing all of his anger and unrecognized ambitions on the country’s leader.

‘“The greatest funeral in the history of the United States.’” 

The author suggests that Lincoln is so beloved by the time of his death, which contrasts sharply with him being the most hated man during the war, that his funeral is the greatest of funerals in the history of the U.S.

“He also leaves behind the messy unfinished business of healing the nation.” 

Above all, Lincoln wanted to unify the nation and mend wounds before he left office, a task that was never realized due to his assassination. His killing only further divided the North and the South.