Who, When, Why What

[Jenny]

Who inspired you to become interested in the Lincoln Assassination?

No one else in my family is interested, sadly, so my "who" is more of a "what." It was actually a book called Unsolved Texas Mysteries that I received for Christmas when I was 13 years old. I remember seeing the image of Booth on the cover right away, oddly enough, and was drawn to him for some reason even thought I didn't remember his name (I just knew it was the actor who had shot Lincoln from when I was in the 5th grade). One of the "unsolved mysteries" involved the John St. Helens/David E. George story, and it quickly became my favorite in the book. I wanted to learn more about John Wilkes Booth to see if he really could have escaped, and the more I learned about Booth (and a lot of the wild stories about his "escape"), the more I learned about the other people involved in the Lincoln assassination.

(... and no, I don't believe Booth escaped. I'm almost ashamed to admit that my interest came initially from a book with a "Booth escaped" theory. I guess we all have to start somewhere!)

When did you become interested?

I was 13 years old so it would have been Christmas of 1997. Ever since that Christmas, I've been hooked. I did take "a break" from the Lincoln assassination itself for about 10 years to read and learn about the Civil War in general and the battles. Then in the summer of 2011 I regained my interest in the assassination and John Wilkes Booth again.

Why are you interested?

John Wilkes Booth, his associates, and the interesting twists and turns and unknowns in the actual assassination fascinate me. Different ideas and theories by historians and authors on small details regarding the assassination keep me thinking for hours on end! There is another reason too that some of you know but I'd rather not go into it here simply because it is spiritual, not historical.

What does it mean to your everyday life?

It's very much part of my daily life, especially for the reason mentioned above, and I love being able to speak with historians and knowledgeable folks about the assassination over the Internet. I recently joined the Surratt Society, and Laurie and her sweet librarian at the Surratt House Museum have been extremely helpful in helping me with some information I wouldn't have access to otherwise. I am hoping to make a trip up to Maryland to visit one of these days!

(Jim, I'm so sorry to learn about your daughter... but your story is very fascinating in regards to ties into the assassination.)

[Julie-the-Cheesehead]

Thanks for the email about this thread! I would love to share why I am a Lincoln buff.

1. Who inspired you to become interested in the Lincoln Assassination? Probably my high school social studies teacher, Mr. Foulke. He showed many documentary movies in history subjects, not only Lincoln and his assassination, but also the Holocaust, the Russian Revolution, the murder of Charles Lindbergh's young son, and WWII. All of those documentaries and the images in them moved me so much and I felt an emotional connection to the tragedies. I wanted to read more and more about all of those things.

2. When did you become interested? Probably in high school and more so in college. In college, I read any book I could find about both the Lincoln and JFK assassinations.

3. Why are you interested? The idea that a President could be snuck up on and killed while doing something as mundane as watching a play is fascinating, and JWB was such an intriguing character. Then I read about the conspirators and the fact that they were hanged, one of them a lady, and wanted more details on them as well. There was nothing much on them I could find until American Brutus and Manhunt were published.

4. What does it mean to your everyday life? Not a whole lot other than I avidly read about the topic, both online and books, and the personalities, especially Booth, have become icons and archetypes in my head. When I am watching a movie and someone is an arrogant, charming ladies' man, I think "He's such a Booth." I have written a few short fictional accounts of events surrounding the assassination too, so it was a creative muse.

[KateH.]

Who inspired you to become interested in the Lincoln Assassination?

No person who is currently living sparked my interest. It began as a visit to Ford’s Theatre. I was attending a production of 1776 and had an opportunity to see the newly refurbished museum. I stood at the display case dedicated to the Conspirators for twenty minutes in order to read all the little cards and take pictures of the artifacts. Seeing their belongings, I became fascinated with their stories and the rest, as they say, was history =) When I returned to New York, I began reading everything I could find and haven’t stopped since.

When did you become interested?

My original interest in Abraham Lincoln dates back some eight or nine years to my elementary school days. Recently, I discovered an old tape from my first Washington DC trip. I’m turning 19 in May but am probably about 10 in the video. In the old Ford’s Theatre museum there was a life sized display of Lincoln on the wall and I decided to check my own height against his. However, this newfound drive started on Good Friday of last year. April 6, 2012. Compared to some of you major leaguers, I’m still in Triple-A. That’s why I am so excited to learn from all of you. Excuse the baseball reference. I was born in New York and, therefore, born a Yankee fan =)

Why are you interested?

The Conspirators fascinate me for a reason that cannot be put into words clearly. I just cannot imagine doing anything else but devoting my time to their memory. Helping to keep their stories alive gives me the most amazing feeling. Learning to become a voice for those who cannot speak is the greatest reward I can think of.

What does it mean to your everyday life?

My fascination with the Conspirators changed my college major. Originally, I intended to major in Creative Writing and minor in Dramatic Arts. I am now a double major in History and Creative Writing, planning on moving to DC and working in Ford’s Theatre after college.

[BettyO]

Quote: Learning to become a voice for those who cannot speak is the greatest reward I can think of.

Beautiful sentiment, Kate!

[Jenny]

(04-06-2013 12:47 PM)BettyO Wrote:  

Quote: Learning to become a voice for those who cannot speak is the greatest reward I can think of.

Beautiful sentiment, Kate!

I second that, Betty!

[Jim Garrett]

(04-06-2013 12:24 PM)KateH. Wrote:  Who inspired you to become interested in the Lincoln Assassination?

No person who is currently living sparked my interest. It began as a visit to Ford’s Theatre. I was attending a production of 1776 and had an opportunity to see the newly refurbished museum. I stood at the display case dedicated to the Conspirators for twenty minutes in order to read all the little cards and take pictures of the artifacts. Seeing their belongings, I became fascinated with their stories and the rest, as they say, was history =) When I returned to New York, I began reading everything I could find and haven’t stopped since.

When did you become interested?

My original interest in Abraham Lincoln dates back some eight or nine years to my elementary school days. Recently, I discovered an old tape from my first Washington DC trip. I’m turning 19 in May but am probably about 10 in the video. In the old Ford’s Theatre museum there was a life sized display of Lincoln on the wall and I decided to check my own height against his. However, this newfound drive started on Good Friday of last year. April 6, 2012. Compared to some of you major leaguers, I’m still in Triple-A. That’s why I am so excited to learn from all of you. Excuse the baseball reference. I was born in New York and, therefore, born a Yankee fan =)

Why are you interested?

The Conspirators fascinate me for a reason that cannot be put into words clearly. I just cannot imagine doing anything else but devoting my time to their memory. Helping to keep their stories alive gives me the most amazing feeling. Learning to become a voice for those who cannot speak is the greatest reward I can think of.

What does it mean to your everyday life?

My fascination with the Conspirators changed my college major. Originally, I intended to major in Creative Writing and minor in Dramatic Arts. I am now a double major in History and Creative Writing, planning on moving to DC and working in Ford’s Theatre after college.

Great response Kate. There are no Major Leagues or Minor leagues here, just different levels of study and passion. Sounds like your doing well in both areas.

These days, opportunities at Ford's begins with volunteering. There are lots of opportunities in the Washington area that can put you in the loop.

[Laurie Verge]

You definitely have the flair for both writing and history! You are also very mature for age 18 -- go girl! What day in May? My daughter was born on May 9. I tried to hold her in until May 10 so that she could be born on Booth's birthday; but after two-and-a-half days of labor, both she and I and the doctor decided one more day was out of the question.

[KateH.]

Betty and Jenny, thank you. That quote is written on my wall.

Jim, thank you as well. I’ll take your advice and start looking into volunteer jobs that will put me in “the loop.” Thanks for letting me know.

Laurie, thank you for the compliment. That is a very interesting story about your daughter. My birthday is six days after hers, May 15th.

[BettyO]

Kate -

Please also DO look into volunteering at Surratt House! I worked there as a docent for neigh on to 20 years and racked up about 750 docent hours! I LOVED every minute of it - I commuted from Richmond VA to Clinton MD sometimes more than 2-3 times a month -

I'm sure Laurie would love to have you as well!

[Jim Garrett]

(04-06-2013 04:37 PM)BettyO Wrote:  Kate -

Please also DO look into volunteering at Surratt House! I worked there as a docent for neigh on to 20 years and racked up about 750 docent hours! I LOVED every minute of it - I commuted from Richmond VA to Clinton MD sometimes more than 2-3 times a month -

I'm sure Laurie would love to have you as well!

I second that. Ford's is pretty much on the job training. Much of Ford's is about crowd management and telling "the history" in about 10 minutes. The Surratt Society is the "creme de la creme" of not only knowledge and research of the Lincoln Assassination, but of the entire era. The crew at Surratt's is tops.

[KateH.]

Thank you for the advice everyone. It's always nice to hear the opinions of those working in the field. Getting a job with the Surratt Society sounds fun too. Does the Surratt House offer any summer programs?

[Craig Hipkins]

Wow! Great thread with some great answers! Here are mine.

Who: There was no one person that sparked my interest in the assassination. However, my grandfather gave me an old newspaper detailing the assassination when I was real young, and also gave me a lot of old postage stamps from the 1800s. This, I guess, sparked my interest in history.

When: I can remember reading about the assassination when I was in elementary school. This was probably around 1977 when the movie The Lincoln Conspiracy came out. I was about 9 years old, but I still remember seeing the promotions on TV before it's release and I couldn't wait to see it. Of course, since I was only 9 I wasn't aware of the controversy that was surrounding it! I just enjoyed watching it. Didn't Gopher from the Love Boat play Davy Herold? I also remember the In Search Of episode that came out about 1978 or so, maybe a little later.

Why: This is a good question. There are certain dates in history that stand out where people ask other people the question "Where were you on that day?" Today it is 9/11, or the Kennedy Assassination. When I was a kid it was December 07, 1941. To people in the late 19th and early 20th century I imagine it was April 14, 1865. There is something about Booth jumping onto the stage in dramatic fashion that makes this event one for the ages.

What does it mean to my everyday life: I am not a historian by profession. However, I enjoy researching and writing on a number of different topics (I wish that I could concentrate on one, but that is impossible!) My interest in Lincoln has rubbed off on my 9 year old son who has taken an interest in the time period and especially the assassination. He has even created a scrap book, and I imagine it won't be long until he is a member of this forum!

Craig

[L Verge]

Kate - we always need volunteers at Surratt House, and we even help you get a period appropriate outfit. Unfortunately, we are owned by a gov't agency that has not been able to give our paid employees a raise in four years and that has a hiring freeze on. That's why volunteers are so critical to our operation.

You really do meet interesting people who visit, and most of the time you have extra minutes to interact with them once your regular tour is done (we set our tour limits at 45-55 minutes depending on the group, but never more than an hour - even though some ignore that dictate). During that tour time, you are visiting ten rooms and learning social and cultural history as well as the assassination-related material. We give you a big, thick docent manual to learn from as well as over-all training and tag-a-long training with experienced guides before allowing you to solo.

You will also end up involved in other history discussions. Today, I manned phones, but got involved with one young man with an interest in politics. He considered Ike a very weak President because he failed to "solve" the continuing racial problems. I swung it the other way, however, and noted his accomplishments in the field of better infrastructure for our country. This same man was surprised when I said that I did not think Kennedy could have gotten his Civil Rights principles through Congress - that it took Johnson to do that. He thought Johnson was a rude, crude, Texan (I agreed), but Johnson was a better politician and knew where the skeletons were hidden in Congressional closets. I then found out that this man wasn't born until the late-1970s. Try explaining to someone like him what it was like to teach in Maryland during desegregation and busing...

I guess my point is that, while teaching visitors about the Civil War and John Wilkes Booth, one can get easily side-tracked onto other history topics. You get a well-rounded education in the history/museum field.

Craig - keep your son's interest in history and the Lincoln assassination alive at all costs. Our society is working hard at destroying our heritage, so we have to launch counter-attacks. I have to drag my daughter kicking and screaming into historic places. Luckily the history genes just skipped a generation and are now well and healthy in my grandson.

[Craig Hipkins]

Laurie, Indeed. Glad to see that your grandson is interested! I think you have to get at them at an early age.

[wsanto]

I have been intrigued with Lincoln since being assigned to recite the Gettysburgh Address in front of my history class in the 7th-Grade. I have never forgotten it. It would run through my mind over and over as I stared at my ceiling trying to fall asleep. I just felt I needed to remember it. (Unfortunately it has been replaced as of late by "The Grinch that Stole Christmas", but I still run it through every now and then to make sure I remember it.)

A few years later our youth group made a trip to Washington and we visited Ford's Theatre. I coudn't believe I was looking at that stage, sitting in those seats, and, especially, staring up to the box where Lincoln was shot. I was awed. With no disrespect to God, it was a holy experience.

Then the kicker..we went down to the museum and in the middle of the room, encased in glass, was the overcoat Lincoln wore that night (you've-- got-- to-- be --kidding me--that's his coat?!)..and the gun was there too...and the door...(they still had all this stuff??!). then the Peterson house. Unbelievable.

I loved history ever since. But this history, the history of Lincoln and his assassination, felt the closest to me. For some reason, and I'm not sure why, this history has percolated inside me all these years since. Not always with the same enthusiasm but always there.

Then this site, Roger's site, has ignited it again to a level that is almost insatiable. So much more to learn, so many other points of view to consider, so much that is still not known.

Thanks Roger.