Booth's Mental health

[LincolnMan]

Beliefs drive actions.
Booth killed Lincoln because of his beliefs.

Agreed. It is next to impossible for us to fully understand what drove our ancestors during this horrible period of our history. It's easier to claim that an assassin is just insane. I've wondered if the CSA started the "insane actor" story to try and distance themselves from their own man.

Never thought of that possibility Laurie. Booth certainly was disappointed when he read newspaper accounts of the assassination while hiding in the swamp. He thought he'd be hailed as a hero but discovered that he was considered anything but.