Abraham Lincoln was one of, if not the greatest, presidents in the United States' history. He led the country through one of the toughest times in history and was still able to preserve the union. However, while he was president many people hated him because of his views on slavery and the ways that he controlled the people during the Civil War. The majority of the South thought of President Lincoln as a tyrant who preserved the union at the cost of personal liberty because of the restrictions he placed on certain rights such as the freedom of speech. John Wilkes Booth was one of these extreme Southern supporters, and he was prepared to bring an end to Lincoln's power in any way he felt was necessary. He assassinated President Lincoln for what he believed was the good of the nation. Booth's reasons for the shooting are still not fully understood and are probably due to Booth's strange upbringing and eccentric personality. These are the events leading up to the assassin!
             ation and some of John Wilkes Booth's reasons for the shooting.
             John Wilkes Booth was the son of Junius Booth and Mary Ann Homes who were British immigrants and well-known actors. The Booth family name was well known throughout the theaters, and John dreamed of one day being a famous actor just as his father was. He had once told his sister, Asia, that "I must have fame! Fame!" He began acting early under the direction of his very eccentric father. His father was an alcoholic and would have fits of rage or melancholy without any reason for doing so, and he would sometimes lock himself in closet before a performance. John Wilkes Booth was just as strange and shortened his given name to just John Wilkes after a poor performance so as not to disgrace his family name. After many poor performances Booth started to gain popularity and fame in the Southern theaters, and it is probably here that he acquired his strong pro-so...