A few days ago, we looked at an excellent online resource for information relating to the War Between the States from 1861 to 1865. Today, we focus on one item from that site that occurred literally days after the cessation of hostilities. The event is the assassination of President Lincoln, the place is Ford’s Theatre.
Now a National Historical Site, this building has elements of both the old and the new. The old, in that it is maintained as close as possible as it was on the Night of April 14th, and the day of April 15th. The new, in that it is a functioning theatre, presenting entertainment, as it has for over 100 years, using state of the art stage techniques. At this site you can explore the events of the assassination, such as a biography of John Wilkes Booth, the elements of Lincoln’s (non-existent) security force, and a history of the physical building. It is currently owned and maintained by the National Parks Service.
It is a fitting stop that we make today, on the 139th anniversary of the assassination of President Lincoln. Bringing historical sites and events up close and personal in sites like this really show off the usefulness of the Internet.
http://www.nps.gov/foth/index2.htm
