John Wilkes Booth and the Politics of Assassination

The reading assignment from chapter 27 from our schoolbook entitled, John Wilkes Booth and the Politics of Assassination written by crowd together W. Clarke discusses the occasions belief that Abraham Lincolns death was brought on by semipolitical ideologies and not because of mental health issues as just about have astray claimed. The author takes that what were happening at that period in time were the demeanor grounds for Booths drive to assassinate Lincoln.Clarke writes, political background of the assassination facts such as Lincolns unpopularity in the pairing as well as in the southwestward, the vicious opposition at bottom his cabinet and Congress along with the controversy surrounding his re-election of 1864 (306) were the true reasons tush his motives. Clarke uses examples from Booths childhood as everyone viewing him with a imperative view and that view was shared by many including his friends and family. He points to his intellectual and health childhood a s fact to his mental stability.Booths raising was exceptional and along with his aspirations of following in his fathers footsteps into acting made him a very stable and intellectual man. He was considered to have gaiety and a passion for life. Clarke goes on to discuss how at 14 Booth disoriented his father and soon after, 3 years, he began acting. But when he began he had very harsh reviews that were critical of his ability in acting or his inexperience. Clarke believes he took these in stride and pushed forward in earnest to fetch a name all his own.Because the South seemed to praise his acting abilities to a greater extent than the North, some theorize that this changed his attitude and he began to favor Southerner in life style and beliefs that directed him to assassinate. Clark contends that although Booth did favor Southern audiences, the Northern audiences soon began to evaluate the actors abilities. Clarke asserts that women loved him and men from all walks of life va lued his friendship because they saw him as a man with wit and magnetism.The author maintains that this is the evidence for his motives being political instead of being pathological. Political events of 1864 such as the Civil War and the horrors of that bloody war along with the evil the nation felt for Lincoln motivated the actor. So this sympathy for the South and because of his passions of justice and duty gave way to Booths actions. I aim this very difficult to swallow. In my eyes and from what I read, Booth was a very self centered someone and a very passionate actor that helped to make him feel invincible.The proof was in Clarkes condition when over and over he kept discussing Booths strong-arm attractiveness and popularity among women as well as men. I believe that in Booths mind the assassination was a performance and felt he would gain even more popularity by his actions. I believe Booth did have some mental issues because anyone who kills another, for any(prenominal) motives has to have some level of mental illness. Im sure that many at the time considered killing Lincoln, but only one person in reality did the act.Charlie Manson was politically motivated when he told his followers to kill, but that didnt fall the fact he was totally insane. The same I holds true for Booth. numerous can put excuses to another persons actions, and especially when that person has been dead for quite sometime, but the fact remains that murder is an kinky act in society its against the societal norm and anyone who kills for whatever reason has mental health issues. Reference Roberts, R. & Olson, J. S. (1986). American Experiences. Glenview, Ill. Scott, Foreman.