John Wilkes Booth

Name: John Wilkes Booth
Played by: Adam Shelton
Lived: May 10, 1838 – April 26, 1865
Known for: Assassinated President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865 at Ford's Theatre in Washington D.C.

What Happened: Booth was a Confederate Sympathizer, and strongly opposed Lincoln's administration. He was outraged by the Northern victory during the civil war and was opposed to the abolition of slavery. After Booth assassinated Lincoln, he fled to southern Maryland and was found in a farm in northern Virginia. Booth was shot by a Union solder and the barn in which Booth was hiding was burnt down.

Also: Booth was a very well-known actor in his time. He made his stage debut in 1855 as the Earl of Richmond in “Richard III.” His final appearance was in Ford's theatre in 1865 when he played Duke Pescara in “The Apostate.”