Discussing the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Discussing the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

In this Bloodlines & Betrayal episode, hosts David Schuman and Steve Cully revisit one of the most devastating moments in American history — the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. On the night of April 14, 1865, just days after the Civil War’s end, the nation’s savior was struck down by actor-turned-assassin John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre, plunging a country on the verge of healing back into chaos. Schuman and Cully explore the web of conspiracy, vengeance, and ideology that fueled Booth’s plot. A Southern sympathizer enraged by Lincoln’s victory, Booth believed killing the President would revive the Confederacy — but instead, it cemented Lincoln’s legacy and destroyed his own. The hosts dissect how Booth and his accomplices targeted multiple government leaders, aiming to decapitate the Union in one night of terror. Through eyewitness accounts and historical analysis, they uncover the panic that gripped Washington, the dramatic 12-day manhunt, and Booth’s fiery end in a Virginia barn. Ultimately, Bloodlines & Betrayal frames Lincoln’s assassination as not just a political crime, but a profound betrayal of unity, democracy, and hope — a reminder that even in victory, freedom is fragile, and history is written in both courage and blood.