🗣  The Assassination of Lincoln: America Gets Tested (& Lunch Before)

🗣 The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln: America Gets Tested (& Lunch Before)

🔆 John Wilkes Booth and his co-conspirators assassinated the 16th President in April 1865. Believing Union victory was imminent, Booth and his conspirators—Lewis Powell, David Herold, and George Atzerodt—plotted to assassinate Lincoln, Secretary of State William H. Seward, and Vice President Andrew Johnson, hoping to cripple the federal government and revive the Confederate cause.

Powell and Herold were assigned to kill Seward; Atzerodt, to kill Johnson. Booth alone succeeded, fatally shooting Lincoln. Powell only wounded Seward, and Atzerodt got drunk and never made his attempt. Booth fled into Maryland, rendezvoused with Herold, and was later fatally shot after refusing to surrender. Powell, Herold, and Atzerodt were hanged in July 1865.

What about Mary Surratt? We'll examine the claim that Surratt—an alleged co-conspirator and the first woman executed by the U.S. federal government—was innocent. We'll also explore Jay Winik's April 1865: The Month That Saved America, which argues that the Civil War's final month was pivotal to preserving the nation. Through events like the fall of Richmond, Lee's surrender at Appomattox, and the assassination plot, the book shows how a string of near-disasters ultimately forged a stronger Union.

🔸️ Oak Dowling is a retired attorney. He has been an Instructor in the OLLI program at Dominican University for 13 years. In his law classes, he uses courtroom drama to demonstrate legal principles.

▪︎ PLEASE bring cash for your lunch.
▪︎ REGISTER HERE:
https://www.jccsf.org/event/the-assassination-of-abraham-lincoln-america-gets-tested
▪︎ Meet at 11 am sharp at Presidio Kebab (3277 Sacramento St)
▪︎ After lunch, we'll cross to the JCCSF for the talk.
▪︎ PLEASE don't be a no-show. If your plans change, remember to update your RSVP prior to the event.
▪︎ A late cancelation will count as a no-show.