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Story · A CLOSER LOOK

The speech that brought hope—and hatred

April 11–15, 1865

Black-and-white head-and-shoulders portrait of Abraham Lincoln in suit and bow tie, from the NPS history page.

ABOUT THIS STORY

On April 11, 1865, Lincoln discussed Reconstruction and expressed support for voting rights for some Black men, particularly those who had served as soldiers. John Wilkes Booth was among the listeners.

An account of Booth’s response records his determination that this would be Lincoln’s last speech. Within days, he murdered the president. This episode belongs beside the growing regard between Lincoln and Douglass in the collection’s account of Lincoln’s trajectory.

My take

The thread that brought Lincoln love from Frederick Douglass brought him hate from John Wilkes Booth.

April 11–15, 1865 · White House · Ford’s Theatre

How it unfolded.

Abraham Lincoln →

  1. The speech that brought hope—and hatred

    Lincoln’s final public address extends his public position on Black voting rights.

A CLOSER LOOK

The story behind it.

Lincoln’s final public address extends his public position on Black voting rights.

A changed public position

Lincoln endorsed a measure of Black suffrage in a public address about rebuilding the country.

A listener turns toward murder

Booth’s reported reaction connects that address with the final days before the assassination.

START HERE

Last Speech (opens in a new tab)

Source for The speech that brought hope—and hatred: Last Speech.

Sources for this closer lookLast Speech (opens in a new tab)Lincoln’s death · Smithsonian (opens in a new tab)

FOLLOW THE CONNECTIONS

There’s a thread here.

HOPPER THREAD · 7 CONNECTIONS

Lincoln and Douglass: where their paths meet

The thread is about how Lincoln and Douglass were at odds and then their trajectories intertwined. Lincoln grew, and Douglass grew too. Douglass came to judge Lincoln by what a man could do in his time. The lesson is not the harshness; it is the harmony where they ended up.

Black-and-white head-and-shoulders portrait of Abraham Lincoln in suit and bow tie, from the NPS history page.Archival photograph of the crowd and platform at Lincoln’s second inauguration at the U.S. CapitolBlack-and-white seated portrait of older Frederick Douglass, with white hair, dark waistcoat, and hands visible.Black-and-white head-and-shoulders portrait of Abraham Lincoln in suit and bow tie, from the NPS history page.Black-and-white head-and-shoulders portrait of Abraham Lincoln in suit and bow tie, from the NPS history page.

Explore the original.

Follow the original source to explore the work in its own context.

Last Speech (opens in a new tab)Lincoln’s death · Smithsonian (opens in a new tab)

Footnotes

1. The account of Booth’s response

The threat is reported as spoken to a companion. The sources used here do not identify it as a journal entry.

Last Speech (opens in a new tab)
Sources & credits

Introductions are grounded in the sources below. Collection notes and reading prompts provide an editorial starting point; personal opinions are identified in the collection’s content.

Black-and-white head-and-shoulders portrait of Abraham Lincoln in suit and bow tie, from the NPS history page.

National Park Service · Abraham Lincoln

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