Assassination of Lincoln
The 14th April marks the anniversary of the assassination of our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln.
On the evening of Good Friday, April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln had been in high spirits as he watched the stage comedy Our American Cousin at Ford's Theater in Washington D.C. But during Act III, the peals of laughter turned to screams of horror, after the renowned actor John Wilkes Booth, who Lincoln had purportedly been an admirer of, crept into the Presidential box, and fired his single-shot Derringer pistol at the back of Lincoln's head.
In an instant, our nation's destiny was changed forever.
Lincoln died the following morning in the back bedroom of the Petersen House, the home of William and Anna Petersen, across the street from the theater.
There have been many old time radio shows depicting the life of Abraham Lincoln, but there are also several which center around his tragic death.
One show that I really recommend listening to, is the CBS Radio Mystery Theater episode entitled Assassination In Time. It tells the story of Peg Andrews and Steve MacDonald, two time travellers who are transported back in time to April 14th 1865, the day John Wilkes Booth assassinated Presidents Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theater.
They are shocked to realise that they are in Mary Surratt’s boarding house, the spot where the whole assassination plot was hatched. They have it in their power to change history but what can they do?
If you were in a position of knowing without a shadow of a doubt the dreadful thing that was to happen on this day what would you do and how?
Speculative history really is a great topic of debate!
Many historians feel that if Lincoln had lived our history and world history would have been profoundly changed for the better. Why not give some thought to how things might have been different had Lincoln lived...
To me, I believe it was a defining moment in American history, which changed the course of how our nation was reunified and rejoined.
It's impossible to know what would have been, but because of Abraham Lincoln, we have a country that is united.
Assassination in Time was originally broadcast on 26th September 1975, but in memory of the 16th President of the United States you can enjoy it again today, along with the shows I have listed below:-
Crime Classics - Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Cavalcade of America - Mr Lincoln Goes to a Play
Suspense - The Man Who Went Back To Save Lincoln
You Are There - Assassination of Lincoln
Mysterious Traveler - The Man Who Tried To Save Lincoln
Happy listening my friends,
P.S. The winner of the RUSC Literary Challenge Quiz will be announced next week, so there's still plenty of time left for you to squeeze in some last minute study before you enter!