Random Things Happened Right After Lincoln's Assassination (13 items)

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  (#1) John Wilkes Booth Broke His Leg In His Getaway And The Doctor Who Healed Him Spent His Life In Prison As A Conspirator

  After Booth shot Lincoln in the head and stabbed Henry Rathbone, the Army officer sitting in the theater box with the Lincolns, Booth dramatically jumped onto the stage. He famously shouted the Virginia state motto, "Sic semper tyrannis" (Latin for "Thus ever to tyrants"), and ran out of the theater. However, Booth broke his leg in his getaway. This didn't prevent him from escaping the area, but it did slow his progress.

  At 4 am later that night, Booth stopped at the house of a doctor named Samuel Mudd to have his leg treated. Evidence of this was found at Mudd's home, including a boot and spur that were worn by Booth that night. Even though Mudd claimed not to know who Booth was, there was proof that the two had met before. Mudd was arrested as a co-conspirator in the assassination and spent the rest of his life imprisoned at Fort Jefferson. 
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  (#2) In Keeping With Victorian Mourning Traditions, Mrs. Lincoln Clipped A Lock Of Lincoln's Hair

  After Lincoln died, his body was taken to the White House where an autopsy was conducted. At this time, his widow Mary sent a note to the doctors asking them to clip a lock of his hair for her. This was in keeping with Victorian mourning customs of the period. The tradition was to either keep the hair in a special container or braid it into a wreath or jewelry. It's possible that other locks of the President's hair were clipped right before or after his death - one sold at auction for $25,000 in 2015. 
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  (#3) After A Manhunt, Lincoln's Assassin Was Shot In The Head By Union Soldiers

  Almost immediately after Lincoln was assassinated, a manhunt began for his killer. Members of the 16th New York Cavalry were tasked with hunting John Wilkes Booth and they finally caught up with him on April 26, 1865. Booth hid out in a barn on a farm belonging to Richard Garrett in Bowling Green, Virginia. The soldiers set the barn on fire in order to draw Booth out and once he emerged, they shot him to death. According to the account of Lieutenant Edward Doherty, Booth was aiming a gun at them... so they shot him in the back of head. Fitting considering the crime. 
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  (#4) He Died On Easter Weekend And Churches Were Packed That Sunday

  Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865 - Good Friday. Easter Sunday, usually a time of reflection and rejoicing became a day of mourning. Normally, Easter was one of the few days that even the most lenient Christians went to church, but that year, even more people showed up. Churches across the United States were filled past capacity, and additional seating had to be brought in from other places. The day became an unofficial national day of sorrow. Some ministers even went so far as to compare Lincoln to a second Jesus. 
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  (#5) Some In The South Rejoiced, Triggering The Wrath Of Northern Soldiers

  As expected, some Americans in the South were thrilled to hear that Lincoln had been assassinated. Still reeling from their loss in the Civil War, they were even more upset their way of life had changed so drastically. When word broke that Lincoln was dead, some threw parties and practically danced in the street.

  Of course, there were some northern sympathizers among them, including Union troops who still occupied the area. These people were genuinely upset at hearing of the President's passing. A few soldiers rounded up some of the gleeful Southerners and tarred and feathered them. Others were also beaten to death or shot in the streets. Most, however, were just rounded up and arrested for their uncouth rejoicing.
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  (#6) Lincoln's Body Made 180 Stops On Its Way To Burial In Illinois For People To Pay Their Respects

  "The Lincoln Special" was the nickname for the funeral train that transported Lincoln's body across the US to its final burial location in Springfield, Illinois. Before this final journey began, the body of Lincoln's son, 11-year-old Willie who had died of typhoid fever in 1862, was disinterred and placed in a coffin on the train. The train made its way through seven states and stopped in 180 different cities.

  In each location, Lincoln's coffin was removed from the train and placed in nearest town hall, where mourners lined up to say "goodbye" to the man. In one location - Philadelphia - people waited in line for up to five hours. When the train procession reached Springfield, both Lincoln and his son were buried in the family plot. 
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  (#7) Mary Surratt Became The First Woman Executed By The US Government

  Not only was John Wilkes Booth hunted down by military forces, but his co-conspirators were as well. One of them was Mary Surratt, who famously owned the Washington D.C. boardinghouse where Booth and his men planned out Lincoln's assassination. She was arrested on April 17, 1865, and swiftly imprisoned. She disavowed any knowledge of the assassination plot, but was tired and convicted of conspiracy.

  The jury voted for the death penalty, but recommended leniency due to her age and gender. She was hung to death anyway on July 7, 1865, alongside several other co-conspirators, George Atzerodt, Lewis Powell, and David Herold. With this, Surratt became the first woman officially executed by the US. government. 
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  (#8) Black People Had Very Limited Freedoms After The Loss Of Such A Huge Ally

  Under new President Andrew Johnson and his weak plans for Reconstruction, southern states quickly passed a series of laws known as the Black Codes in 1865 and 1866. These laws forced the now-freed slaves to live restricted lives. They had to sign yearly labor contracts in order to work, they weren't allowed to hold any job other than that of a farmer or servant, and if they were caught violating the laws, they were forced to work on plantations as unpaid laborers. On a slightly more positive note, they were allowed to marry freely and own property. These laws eventually led to the Jim Crow laws that persisted up until the 1960s.
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  (#9) Andrew Johnson Became President Of The US - And Then Came One Vote Shy Of Being Impeached

  Moments after Lincoln's death, Andrew Johnson, his Vice President was quietly inaugurated as the President of the United States. Not everyone was happy about this, as Johnson had a hatred for both southern aristocracy, but wasn't an advocate of former slaves. Johnson opposed many of the new laws passed by Congress that were designed to give all African Americans the right to vote. Between his opposition to Reconstruction, civil rights, and the voting rights, Congress tried to impeach him in 1868. Johnson came within one single vote of being removed from office. 
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  (#10) Booth's Brother In Law Illegally Staged A Production Of The Play Lincoln Was Watching When Assassinated

  Our American Cousin, a play written by Tom Taylor, was the production that Lincoln was watching when he was killed. One year after those tragic events, John Sleeper Clarke, brother-in-law to John Wilkes Booth, was caught illegally producing a version of the play at the Winter Garden Theater in New York City. During the time period, a licensing fee and permission from the playwright were required in order to get the rights to put on a play. Clarke did not pay the fee, nor get approval from Taylor. Given that Our American Cousin was now infamous thanks to the actions of Clarke's brother-in-law, one would think he'd have wanted to avoid any ties to the play. 
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  (#11) Johnson Tried To Prevent Former Slaves From Obtaining US Citizenship, But Was Vetoed

  The Reconstruction Amendments to the Constitution, also known as the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, were passed by the states after Lincoln's death. These amendments abolished slavery (13th), granted former slaves official citizenship (14th), and set up equal rights regardless of skin color (15th). All of these amendments were passed by both houses of Congress and enough states to make them officially part of the Constitution. Johnson vetoed the 14th before Congress overrode his veto and the Amendment became law.

  The Reconstruction Acts were also set in motion by Congress and signed into law in 1867. This set of laws set up the process that allowed the southern states to once again become part of the United States. 
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  (#12) Lincoln's Face On The One Cent Coin Broke An American Taboo

  In 1909, Victor David Brenner, a designer for the US mint created the first American coin with a real person on it - the one cent coin (also known as the penny) showed a profile of President Lincoln. Previously, the only person depicted on a coin was a version of Lady Liberty. This new penny broke the mold.

  Then-president Theodore Roosevelt pushed the idea of having faces on coins in order to rival European currency. Prior to this, people didn't appear on US coins, as the designs were deemed too close to those made by the British who proudly placed their monarchs on them. 
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  (#13) Presidents' Day Became A Holiday Honoring All Former Presidents, But Especially Lincoln and George Washington

  The holiday known as Presidents' Day was originally in celebration of George Washington's birthday. However, by 1971 it was officially renamed and changed to the third Monday in February, not just February 22nd, and the holiday began to honor Lincoln as well. The Uniform Holiday Act, which Richard Nixon signed into law in 1971, made the combined holiday official. 

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