FEBRUARY 2, 1994
Why Was Lincoln Murdered?

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with Edward Steers (author), Thomas Turner (author), Michael Kauffman (historian), Louise Taper (author, member, Lincoln Bicentennial Commission), James L. Swanson (member, Lincoln Bicentennial Commission & senior legal scholar at the Heritage Foundation's Center for Legal and Judicial Studies), Frank J. Williams (Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court & member of the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission)
Harold Holzer moderated a panel discussion titled "Why Was Lincoln Murdered?" They spoke about the role of John Wilkes Booth and the possible Southern conspiracy in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln at the Ford Theater. Following their discussion, the panelists responded to questions and comments from members of the audience. The audience members spoke from the podium microphone to the right of the panel.

NOVEMBER 17, 2005
The Trial: The Assassination of President Lincoln

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with Edward Steers (author)
Edward Steers talked about the book he edited, The Trial: The Assassination of President Lincoln and the Trial of the Conspirators. He discussed the trial and investigation of President Abraham Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth. Mr. Steers believed there was a broad Confederate conspiracy to kill President Lincoln. In his book, the author detailed the history of the military tribunal and the conducting of the murder trial. Following his presentation, Mr. Steers responded to questions and comments from members of the audience.

NOVEMBER 17, 2005
Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer

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with James L. Swanson (member, Lincoln Bicentennial Commission)
James L. Swanson, a member of the advisory committee for the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, talked about his forthcoming book Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer. In the book, the author told the story of the pursuit of assassin John Wilkes Booth by Union cavalry and detectives on a twelve-day chase through the streets of Washington, D.C., across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of Virginia from April 14 to April 26, 1865, when he was killed. Following his presentation, Mr. Swanson responded to questions and comments from members of the audience.

NOVEMBER 17, 2005
Lincoln's Avengers: Justice, Revenge, and Reunion After the Civil War

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with Elizabeth Leonard (Professor of History at Colby College)
Elizabeth Leonard talked about her book Lincoln's Avengers: Justice, Revenge, and Reunion after the Civil War. In the book she explored the role of Judge Advocate General Joseph Holt in the investigations and trials that followed President Lincoln's assassination. The author paralleled the assassination of President Lincoln to the assassination of then Secretary of State, William H. Seward. Following her presentation, Ms. Leonard responded to questions and comments from members of the audience.

NOVEMBER 16, 2005
Process vs. Truth in the History of Booth's Conspiracy

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with Michael Kauffman (Historian)
Historian Michael W. Kauffman gave the opening address of the 10th Annual Lincoln Forum Symposium titled "Process vs. Truth in the History of Booth's Conspiracy." The forum marked the 140th anniversary of the assassination of President Lincoln. Mr. Kauffman talked about his book American Brutus: John Wilkes Booth and the Lincoln Conspiracies.He explained how President Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth, manipulated his contacts and detailed how he blackmailed them by threatening to link them with the assassination plot in the event that they turned him in. Following his presentation, Mr. Kauffman responded to questions and comments from members of the audience.

JANUARY 6, 2005
American Brutus

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with Michael Kauffman (Historian)
Michael Kauffman talked about his book American Brutus: John Wilkes Booth and the Lincoln Conspiracies, about Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth and the cast of characters surrounding the time before and after the assassination at Ford's Theatre. Using an array of archival sources and new research, Mr. Kauffman explained the background and motives of John Wilkes Booth, the mechanics of his plot to topple the Union government, and the trials and fates of the conspirators. The author also wrote that Mr. Booth manipulated people in his life into willingly or unwillingly aiding him in his plot. Following his remarks he answered questions from the audience.

FEBRUARY 12, 2003
Lincoln Assassination Tour

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with Anthony Pitch (author)
On April 14, 1865, actor John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln as the president sat in the State Box in Ford's Theatre during a performance of a play entitled "Our American Cousin." Historian Anthony Pitch conducted a tour of a number of sites around Washington, DC associated with the assassination, including the White House, Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Home of Major Rathbone (who sat in the box with Lincoln), Lafayette Park, Home of Secretary of State Seward, New York Avenue Baptist Church, Willard Hotel, National Theatre, Corner of 12th and Pennsylvania, Ford's Theatre, Petersen Boarding House, St. Patrick's Church, the alley behind Ford's Theatre, and Mary Surratt's Boarding House. Mr. Pitch is in the process of writing a new book on the assassination and conducts tours of the associated sites in Washington, DC.

NOVEMBER 17, 2002
Lincoln Assassination Conspirators

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with James L. Swanson (senior fellow, Cato Institute, Constitutional Studies) & Daniel Weinberg (author)
Mr. Weinberg and Mr. Swanson talked about the conspirators involved in the assassination of President Lincoln, including the trial of the conspirators and subsequent hanging of four of them. Following prepared remarks, they responded to questions from the audience. Mr. Swanson and Mr. Weinberg are co-authors of Lincoln's Assassins: Their Trial and Execution.

NOVEMBER 17, 2002
Lincoln's Assassination

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with Edward Steers (author)
Mr. Steers talked about the assassination of President Lincoln, and attempted to dispel some of the popular myths surrounding the assassination. Following prepared remarks, he responded to questions from the audience. Mr. Steers is the author of Blood on the Moon: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

AUGUST 3, 1998
History Methods & the Lincoln Assassination

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with Edward Steers (author), Dwight Pitcaithley (Chief Historian National Park Service), James Lange (Member, Surratt Society), Terry Alford (Historian), William Hanchett, Thomas Reed Turner (author)
In this panel, historians discussed the personalities and events which led to the assassination of President Lincoln on April 14, 1865. The discussion focused on various theories of conspiracy and the historical evidence and methodologies used to back up those theories. After their remarks they answered questions from the audience.

AUGUST 3, 1998
Popular History & the Lincoln Assassination

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with John Simon (Professor, Yale University), Stephen Oates (Professor of History at University of Massachusetts, Amherst), Frank J. Williams (Co-Founder and Chair of the Lincoln Forum), Harold Holzer, James Hall (researcher, Lincoln Forum), Dwight Pitcaithley (Chief Historian, National Park Service), David Gaddy (author and retired U.S. Intelligence officer), Robert Mills (author)
In this panel, historians and authors discussed President Lincoln's assassination which occurred on April 14, 1865. They highlighted the events which led to the assassination and the popular coverage of Lincoln's death. After their comments they answered questions from the audience.

APRIL 14, 1995
Lincoln Assassination Anniversary

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with Frank J. Williams (President, Ulysses S Grant Association), Harold Holzer, Dwight Pitcaithley (Chief Historian, National Park Service), Terry Alford (Historian)
Three Lincoln scholars talked about the political situation in April, 1865, the myths and realities surrounding the assassination itself and how the media treated it. This was the 130th anniversary of John Wilkes Booth's assassination of President Lincoln, which also occurred on Good Friday. They also took questions from the audience.

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