The night of Good Friday in April 14th, 1865 undoubtedly ranks among the most tragic and notable of all in American history. It was on this date that the ultimately fatal shooting of the great Abraham Lincoln occurred at Ford 's Theater; and forever changed the course of American history. The events of Lincoln 's assassination have since been surrounded by continuous mystery, and endless possible conspiracies; but one fact that is without doubt is the identity of the cold, steel killing device that mercilessly took the great leader from his loving people far too soon. On that notorious night in April, John Wilkes Booth brandished a walnut handled .44 caliber Philadelphia derringer single shot pistol; and delivered what would result in being
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Author Finis Bates might best described of Lincoln’s death as among “…the commission of which crime takes rank among the epochs of time equaled only by the crucifixion of Christ and the assassination of Caesar”. What great things would Lincoln have accomplished had he lived past the morning of April 15th, 1865? This question seems to haunt every generation that learns of his distinction and duty in his lifetime. The small derringer pistol’s impact on the life and legacy of Lincoln is that it halted in haste what could have been of this greatest leader; and catapulted him into what most feel was an untimely end to a timeless figure. The modest weapon yielded by the zealous Booth made one small shot the great period to a life unparalleled in the history of our nation’s life. The pistol itself showed how swiftly and efficiently that even the smallest of these weapons could end even the largest of human life. Lincoln surely seemed an almost indomitable figure. That he could so easily be ended by so small a weapon might be one of the great examples of how cautiously we should regard the power of these …show more content…
Lincoln was a figure of iconic and immense magnitude at the time of his death, and his fame has only multiplied since. Lincoln will forever be remembered as one of our nation’s most powerful and important leaders, and his death among the most tragic. The pistol that shot this mighty beacon of American resilience has become the infamous model of a dastardly deed, and it’s fame continues on from generation to generation. Upon viewing this small and inert piece of steel, that still sets upon display in the Ford’s Theatre Museum, one must wonder how carelessly we can often regard the true enormity of the power of these killing machines. Though the small pistol itself was only a device managed by the hands of a maddened and vengeful mind; the undeniable power of a firearm to make vulnerable any human life is maybe no better evidenced than in the killing of the mighty Abraham
Author Finis Bates might best described of Lincoln’s death as among “…the commission of which crime takes rank among the epochs of time equaled only by the crucifixion of Christ and the assassination of Caesar”. What great things would Lincoln have accomplished had he lived past the morning of April 15th, 1865? This question seems to haunt every generation that learns of his distinction and duty in his lifetime. The small derringer pistol’s impact on the life and legacy of Lincoln is that it halted in haste what could have been of this greatest leader; and catapulted him into what most feel was an untimely end to a timeless figure. The modest weapon yielded by the zealous Booth made one small shot the great period to a life unparalleled in the history of our nation’s life. The pistol itself showed how swiftly and efficiently that even the smallest of these weapons could end even the largest of human life. Lincoln surely seemed an almost indomitable figure. That he could so easily be ended by so small a weapon might be one of the great examples of how cautiously we should regard the power of these …show more content…
Lincoln was a figure of iconic and immense magnitude at the time of his death, and his fame has only multiplied since. Lincoln will forever be remembered as one of our nation’s most powerful and important leaders, and his death among the most tragic. The pistol that shot this mighty beacon of American resilience has become the infamous model of a dastardly deed, and it’s fame continues on from generation to generation. Upon viewing this small and inert piece of steel, that still sets upon display in the Ford’s Theatre Museum, one must wonder how carelessly we can often regard the true enormity of the power of these killing machines. Though the small pistol itself was only a device managed by the hands of a maddened and vengeful mind; the undeniable power of a firearm to make vulnerable any human life is maybe no better evidenced than in the killing of the mighty Abraham