Chasing Lincoln’s Killer
Activities
Activities
Chapter Questions
PROLOGUE:!
1. Who was just below the president as he
made his inaugural speech?
2. What strange thing happened as the
president arose to make his inaugural
speech?!
3. Why did people celebrate in the Union
capital on April 3, 1865?
4. Why was Booth so angry on the evening
of April 13, 1865?
CHAPTER I:!
1. Describe John Wilkes Booth.
2. Why did the Lincoln’s notify Ford’s Theatre?
3. Why was Booth so excited Lincoln was coming
to Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865?!
4. Why did Booth visit Mary Surratt?!
5. Booth made final arrangements. What were
they?
6. Booth had two weapons. What were they?
7. Why had Mary Lincoln been so emotionally
upset lately?
8. What time did the Lincoln’s arrive at Ford’s
Theatre?
CHAPTER II:!
1.
How many times did Booth enter Ford’s
Theatre?
2. Where did Booth go prior to entering the
president’s box?
3. Why was Booth surprised as he entered the
president’s box?!
4. Why did Booth wait until almost the end of
the play to shoot Lincoln?!
5. Who else was injured in the assassination?
How?
!6. Why do you think no one tried to stop
Booth as he fled?
CHAPTER III:!
1. What were Powell’s 3 problems
encountered if he were to kill Seward?
2. What role did Herold play?
3. Who did Powell attempt to shoot? What
happened?
4. How did Powell wound Seward? Describe
the wound.
5. Who did Powell wound next? Describe the
wounds.
6. Why do you think Powell only “trotted”
away from the Seward mansion instead of
galloping away quickly?
CHAPTER IV:!
1. Who chased Booth from the theatre? Did he
catch him? Why or why not?
2. How did Booth arrange to get across the Navy
Yard Bridge when it closed at 9:00 p.m.?
3. Who came to Lincoln’s rescue at Ford’s Theatre?
What did this person do?
4. Major Rathbone’s actions were quite selfish.
How so?
5. What did Atzerodt decide to do that night? Why?
6. How is Laura Keene best remembered?
7. Why did officials want to move Lincoln from
Ford’s Theatre?
8. Where did officials finally take the president?
Instructions
Step 1: Select a character.!
!Step 2: Make a physical description of the
character and include any outstanding or
distinguishing traits about !a character that
you know from the book. For example, you
should list the following: height, weight,
gender, hair!color, eye color, scars, clothing,
nationality, etc.!!
Step 3: Describe why the character is "wanted."
What terrible thing did the character do? Is
the character!hiding? Is the character with
another character? Is the character "armed
and dangerous"? Is the character on!the run?
Step 4: What is the character like? What
does the character like to do? What skills
or hobbies does the!character have?!
Step 5: Write where the character was last
seen.
!Step 6: Use a free Wanted Poster template
online and fill in the information. Be sure
to include an image. OR,!use blank printer
paper to create the poster. Use colored
pencils or markers to create poster. Be
neat when!writing, include all
information, and an image.
CHAPTER V:!
1. How did news of the president’s and
Seward’s alleged assassination travel? Why?
2. Where did Booth and Herold go first?
Second?
3. Who took over when they arrived at the
Peterson House? Why?
4. Who tended to Booth’s injury? Describe the
injury he sustained.
5. How did John Harrison Surratt meet John
Wilkes Booth?
6. What did Booth decide to do once his injury
was treated?
CHAPTER VI:!
1. Who wanted a “lock” of Lincoln’s hair? Why?
2. Why would Mary Todd Lincoln not see the
president once he was dead?
3. There were 4 errors reported in the article
on page 105. What were they?
4. What mistake did Atzerodt make the morning
of April 15, 1865?
5. Why didn’t Herold get a carriage to transport
the wounded Booth?
6. Why didn’t Dr. Mudd alert authorities that
Booth was at his farm initially?
CHAPTER VII:!
1. How did Booth persuade Cox to invite him into his
home?
2. Where did Cox suggest Herold and Booth hide? Why?
3. How would Booth and Herold know who Cox sent was
there to help them?
4. Why was Jones so eager to help Booth and Herold? (2
reasons!)
5. When would Booth and Herold leave their hiding
place?
6. What did Booth request Jones bring him upon his
return? Why?
7. Why would Atzerodt be caught?
8. What did Herold do with he and Booth’s horses?
Why?
9. Why had Lieutenant Dana ignored Dr. Mudd’s report?
CHAPTER VIII:!
1. What did Powell tell soldiers he was at the
boarding house to do?
2. What mistake did Powell make that night?
3. What did Mary Surratt tell authorities upon
questioning?
4. What happened to Mary Surratt?
5. What did authorities do to Ford’s Theatre?
Why?
6. Why couldn’t Stanton devote enough time
to the “manhunt”?
CHAPTER IX:!
1.
Why were Booth and Herold not in their
“best appearance”?
2.
Why was Booth angry at his “actor
friend”?
3. What happened on April 19, 1865?
4.
Why did Richter finally tell soldiers
Atzerodt was upstairs?
5.
How many were still not captured at the
end of this chapter? Name them.
CHAPTER XI (pp. 151-165)!
1. Who helped Booth and Herold once in Virginia? Why did
this person seek others to help as well?
2. Who helped Booth and Herold next? Why did this person
send them away?
3. In Port Conway, who suddenly appeared?
4. Where did Booth and Herold go next in Port Conway?
5. Why did this person agree to take Booth and Herold in?
6. Why did Herold leave Booth on April 24, 1865?
7. What alarmed Richard Garrett about Booth?
8. Why did Booth and Herold run into the woods behind
Garrett’s barn?
9. Where did Booth and Herold sleep the night of April 25,
1865? Why?
10. What did the Garrett’s do?
CHAPTER X:!
1. Why would Jones not take money initially
from Booth? When he finally did, how much
did he take? Why?
2. Why did Dr. Mudd tell Wells he did not
recognize Booth?
3. What happened to Jones eventually?
4. Why were Booth and Herold “off course”?
5. The government was planning to capture
Booth and Herold through the help of
whom?
6. Where were Booth and Herold forced to
hide out? For how long?
CHAPTER XI (pp. 165-177)!
1. Why was Booth awakened the late hours of
April 25, 1865?
2. What did Richard Garrett finally tell the cavalry
where Booth was hiding?
3. Why was John Garrett forced to go into the
tobacco barn?
4. Who surrendered? Why?
5. What did Conger decide to do to capture
Booth?
6. What did Boston Corbett do?
7. Why did Conger not kill Booth?
8. Why had the shooter of Booth fired? (What
was his reasoning?)
CHAPTER XII!
1. What did Lt. Doherty do to Booth’s body?
2. Why did Conger ride “ahead” of Booth’s
body entourage?
3. Why was an autopsy ordered on Booth’s
body?
4. Why was the press not informed of Booth’s
“final resting place”?
5. Where was Booth buried? In your opinion,
was that appropriate?
6. If our president was assassinated today,
what punishment do you think would be
most humane? Why?
CHAPTER XIII:!
1. How many people were put on trial for
the Lincoln assassination? Name them.
2. How long did the government take to pay
the reward offered for Lincoln’s killers?
3. Who was really innocent but found guilty?
4.Why was Garrett never reimbursed for the
damage to his barn and property?
5.Why was Corbett never charged with a
crime? What eventually happened to him?
CHAPTER XIV:!
1. How many of the conspirators charged
were put to death? How? Name them.
2. Name two things the conspirators had
to wear in prison up to their execution.
EPILOGUE:!
1. What honor was “almost” bestowed upon Edwin
Stanton?!
2. Why do you think William Steward turned to one
side when photographed?
3. What hideous crime did Rathbone commit? Why?
4. Was John Surratt “caught”? Was he found guilty
of conspiracy? Why or why not?
5. What eventually became of Dr. Mudd?
6. How is Ford’s Theatre a memorial? To whom?
Explain.
7. Does Lincoln have a memorial? Where is it
located?
Lincoln Biography
•
http://www.biography.com/print/profile/
abraham-lincoln-9382540
•
http://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-
may-not-know-about-abraham-lincoln
•
Students will read an article about Abraham
Lincoln independently as they extract
information to compile a “mock” Facebook
page for our 16th President and subject of our
upcoming text. !
•
They will then be given the opportunity to
meet with a peer who read a different article
to share what they know and what they have
learned.
!
The Big Question!
Critical Thinking
•
Did John Wilkes Booth accomplish his
goal?
•
Why or Why not? List specific details
from the text to support your answer.
•
Essay must be at least one page in length.
