Seward and Lincoln assassinations

the story of President Lincoln's assassination along with secretary of State William Seward was pretty crazy as well as interesting.

Lincoln and his wife Mary planned to see the play "Our American Cousin" at the Ford's theater in Washington on April 14th, 1865. They made it to the play twenty minutes late due to bad weather conditions, but saw the first three acts of the performance. The president's body guard at the time was blocking the outside door of the box seat reserved for the lincolns that night. He politely excuses himself just before the forth act to have a drink and a smoke. This is where the assassins plan comes into effect. The actor, John Wilkes Booth sees the opportunity and shoots Lincoln at point blank range in the back of the head. This causes complete chaos in the theater and then people immediately jump to the idea that a full blown confederate attack was taking place. Lincolns men grab him and take him away to a home owned by a doctor who tried to save him, he eventually gives out and passes away.
In the meantime Booth takes off with an injured leg and flees the town as quick as possible. He hides out in the wooded areas for a few days before him and his accomplice are trapped by union soldiers.
The thought of what Lincoln could have done had he not been murdered is sad. Once the president's second term was over he had plans to continue to practice law and take many trips around the world. His wife Mary always talked about exploring Europe one day and taking a trip to Vienna. Lincoln also wanted to travel as well but was looking foward to the idea of living a quiet and "humble" life after four antagonizing years of war. Had he survived to do these things maybe some of the events of the civil war would have turned out different, and Lincoln's reconstruction plan would have been a success.

William Seward is one of my favorite men in American history. His ideas on closing the borders and acquiring Alaska were huge steps toward American freedom as well as stepping stones in the United States becoming one of the biggest commercial nations in the world. Seward always seemed to have a good head on his shoulders and lincoln considered him to be his right hand man. They rarely disagreed with one another, and it is clear throughout Lincoln's presidency that he trusted many of Sewards ideas both on war and economics.

seward was assassinated on the same night as Lincoln, but in a much different way. Seward was attacked in his own home, literally his own bed. A man by the name of George Atzerodt walked up the steps of the seward home and was prepared to take out anyone that came in his way. he shot William's son Frederick twice, killed a maid, and three other residents. He then walked straight into sewards bedroom and stabbed him five times in the heart. Seward fell from his bed and died in a pool of blood. He never had a chance to escape.

These murders were as hanius as they come. The assassinations were intentional and there was a third plot to kill Vice President Andrew Johnson as well. After these events the country, specifically the north was left with more questions than ever. who would lead the nation? was guerilla warfare their last resort? would the war continue for months even years on end? All these questions were left in the minds of every American living during the time.

Had Seward lived longer, this country would be completely different because he would have likely become a presdient at some point in time.