Abraham Lincoln

Question

What were the motives that existed among the planners and killer that killed Abraham Lincoln? How did they benefit from Lincoln's death?

Answer 1

Taken from Fords.org: "Booth saw Lincoln as a tyrant who was taking away white Southerners’ rights to start their own country where race-based slavery was universally legal. " "Many white Marylanders, including Booth, were sympathetic to the Confederate cause".

Booth originally was going to kidnap Lincoln but then Lee surrendered to Grant which caused Booth to change his plans. Hence, he decided to murder Lincoln.

Booth was doing this for a cause, he had nothing to gain personally. He thought that with Lincoln out of the way the Union would become unstable and in the resulting chaos the South would then be able to renew their cause and fight.

Information taken from: https://www.fords.org/lincolns-assassination/investigating-the-assassination/