The Conspirator The Conspirator is a movie set in the mid-1860s, which depicts the assassination of former President Lincoln by the hand of a Confederate supremacist named John Wilkes Booth. The film suggests that the homicide was premeditated by a group of Confederates who were unhappy with the outcome of the Civil War. This poses the question of who was involved in the murder of Abraham Lincoln, and whether the accused should be prosecuted legally and fairly or vengefully. This issue inadvertently separates all Americans once again. From the perspective of the protagonist, Frederick Aiken, the viewers travel through the trial of who will be deemed guilty or innocent based on their association with John Wilkes Booth. Watch as Aiken attempts
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Officers have found seven accused conspirators, including David Herold, Lewis Payne, George Atzerodt, Michael O’Laughlen, Edmund Spangler, Samuel Mudd, and Samuel Arnold. Later, it is discovered that John Surratt, the son of Mary Surratt, is also included in the conspiracy to murder Lincoln, and he mysteriously left town according to his family. Since the citizens of this town are predominantly anti-slavery and wish to receive justice for the recent murder, they begin to convict Mary Surratt as collateral since John wasn’t present to be tried himself and because Mary stated that she was aware of her friendship with her son and John Wilkes Booth. To prove Mary's innocence and protect her from the vengeance-seeking officials, Aiken decides to defend her case and attempts to get Anna Surratt, Mary's daughter, to attend the trial to testify for her mother and claim her brother should be tried as guilty rather than Mary. After Anna tells her side of the story during the trial, the officials remove her from the court, restricting access to her mother, and the judges rule against her, sealing her fate with being hung for harboring conspiring …show more content…
He hesitantly agrees, but Aiken's attempt to prove her innocence fails as former President Johnson vetoes Wylie’s writ of habeas corpus, and Mary Surratt is condemned and set to be publicly hanged along with three other conspirators. In the movie The Conspirator, the American Civil War is a recurring topic of discussion among the main characters. While the film delves into the allegiances of most of the characters, it fails to address the underlying cause of the war, which is slavery. It is essential to note that during the period in which the movie was set, slavery was at its peak, and most financially stable white men owned slaves. Although John Murratt, Mary Surratt's son, is affiliated with the Confederacy and supports slavery, the movie does not give any indication regarding where Mary Surratt herself stands on the issue. However, in reality, Mary Surratt, along with her family, were typical slave owners, owning several slaves before losing her abusive husband and financial stability. Surprisingly, the movie does not address slavery as a key factor that divided the nation, leading to the Civil
Officers have found seven accused conspirators, including David Herold, Lewis Payne, George Atzerodt, Michael O’Laughlen, Edmund Spangler, Samuel Mudd, and Samuel Arnold. Later, it is discovered that John Surratt, the son of Mary Surratt, is also included in the conspiracy to murder Lincoln, and he mysteriously left town according to his family. Since the citizens of this town are predominantly anti-slavery and wish to receive justice for the recent murder, they begin to convict Mary Surratt as collateral since John wasn’t present to be tried himself and because Mary stated that she was aware of her friendship with her son and John Wilkes Booth. To prove Mary's innocence and protect her from the vengeance-seeking officials, Aiken decides to defend her case and attempts to get Anna Surratt, Mary's daughter, to attend the trial to testify for her mother and claim her brother should be tried as guilty rather than Mary. After Anna tells her side of the story during the trial, the officials remove her from the court, restricting access to her mother, and the judges rule against her, sealing her fate with being hung for harboring conspiring …show more content…
He hesitantly agrees, but Aiken's attempt to prove her innocence fails as former President Johnson vetoes Wylie’s writ of habeas corpus, and Mary Surratt is condemned and set to be publicly hanged along with three other conspirators. In the movie The Conspirator, the American Civil War is a recurring topic of discussion among the main characters. While the film delves into the allegiances of most of the characters, it fails to address the underlying cause of the war, which is slavery. It is essential to note that during the period in which the movie was set, slavery was at its peak, and most financially stable white men owned slaves. Although John Murratt, Mary Surratt's son, is affiliated with the Confederacy and supports slavery, the movie does not give any indication regarding where Mary Surratt herself stands on the issue. However, in reality, Mary Surratt, along with her family, were typical slave owners, owning several slaves before losing her abusive husband and financial stability. Surprisingly, the movie does not address slavery as a key factor that divided the nation, leading to the Civil