President Abraham Lincoln’s death on April 14, 1865, is still seen as one of the most important and sad events in American history. Lincoln was shot at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., by John Wilkes Booth, a supporter of the Confederacy. Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States. The president was killed the next day, becoming the first U.S. president to be killed in office.

Booth wanted to bring back the Confederate cause by getting rid of the top Union leaders. Although Lincoln was the main target, William H. Seward, who was Secretary of State, was also struck that same night but lived.

After the incident, a huge search was started for Booth and his accomplices. Booth was found and killed in a barn in Virginia in the end. Several of his friends were caught and put on trial. Some were sentenced to jail, while others were put on death row.

The murder of Abraham Lincoln had huge effects. It changed the way the country rebuilt after the Civil War and will always be remembered as a symbol of the country’s ongoing fight for justice and unity.