Investigating the Lincoln Assassination with Detective McDevitt

by Ford's Theatre

This program will provide a first-hand look into the investigation of Abraham Lincoln's assassination and the events of April 14 and 15, 1864. It was well known who killed President Lincoln, but what else occurred on that night and who else was involved? Was the assassination part of a conspiracy?

Join Detective James McDevitt of the Washington Metropolitan Police Force as he visits that night's sites and clues in order to answer these important questions. This program will make you a part of the critical moment in American history.

Program Rating

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About This Program

Cost

By Request: $100.00
By Request Premium: $90.00

Checks can be made payable to Ford's Theatre Society. Please include invoice number in the memo line.
Checks can be sent to:
514 10th Street NW,
Washington, DC 20004.

Length

60 minutes

Target Audience

Education: Grade(s) 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Adult LearnersPublic Library: Library Patrons

Minimum participants:

Maximum participants:

There is no maximum, but for optimum interactivity, we suggest no more than 40 students.

Primary Disciplines

Social Studies/History

Program Delivery Mode

Videoconference - H.323 (Polycom, Cisco/Tandberg, LifeSize, etc...)
Videoconference – Webcam/desktop (Zoom, Google Meet, Cisco WebEx, GoToMeeting, Microsoft Teams, etc...)
Zoom

Booking Information

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Receive this program and 9 more for one low price when you purchase the CILC Virtual Expeditions package. Learn more

For more information contact CILC at (507) 388-3672

Provider's Cancellation Policy

The full fee will be charged to sites that cancel with less than one (1) week notice.

About This Provider

Ford's Theatre

Washington, DC
United States

Ford's Theatre celebrates the legacy of President Abraham Lincoln and explores the American experience through theatre and education.

During the Civil War, Ford's Theatre was one of Washington's top entertainment venues, giving Washingtonians a much-needed break from the realities of war. President Lincoln, who loved theatre, opera and Shakespeare, visited Ford's Theatre on at least 10 formal occasions.

On April 14, 1865, Lincoln and his wife decided to visit the theatre to see the comedy Our American Cousin. John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer, snuck into the President's Box and shot Lincoln with a single-shot Derringer pistol. Booth fled into the night, and Lincoln died the next morning in the Petersen House, a boarding house located just across the street from the theatre.

Lincoln's assassination shocked the nation, and Ford's Theatre remained closed for more than 100 years.

In 1968, Ford's Theatre officially reopened as a national historic site and theatre producing live performances. Today, Ford's offers inspiring theatrical productions, interactive museum exhibits and engaging education programs.

Contact:
Alex Wood
awood@fords.org
202-639-1583

Program Details

Format

1. Introduction by Detective McDevitt, laying out the facts known in the immediate aftermath of Abraham Lincoln's Assassination
2. Detective McDevitt outlines what is yet to be solved: Was this a lone act, or a conspiracy? Who was involved?
3.Travel through 1865 Washington city looking for clues and eyewitness accounts (using People on Content to show primary source images of important people and places).
4. We learn who was involved in the conspiracy and what the consequences were for their involvement.
4. Time is allowed for questions and answers

Objectives

Participants will:

- Use primary source documents to help Detective McDevitt investigate the conspiracy behind President Lincoln’s assassination

- Use their imaginations to travel back to 1865 and explore the geography and social and political worlds of Civil War Washington

- Determine the role and guilt of each Lincoln assassination consipirator

Standards Alignment

National Standards

NSS-G.K-12.6 THE USES OF GEOGRAPHY
As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should:
• Understand how to apply geography to interpret the past.
• Understand how to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.
NSS-USH.5-12.5 ERA 5: CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION (1850-1877)
• Understands the causes of the Civil War
• Understands the course and character of the Civil War and its effects on the American people
• Understands how various reconstruction plans succeeded or failed
NA-T.5-8.7 ANALYZING, EVALUATING, AND CONSTRUCTING MEANINGS FROM IMPROVISED AND SCRIPTED SCENES AND FROM THEATRE, FILM, TELEVISION, AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA PRODUCTIONS
Achievement Standard:
• Students articulate and support the meanings constructed from their and others' dramatic performances
• Students use articulated criteria to describe, analyze, and constructively evaluate the perceived effectiveness of artistic choices found in dramatic performances
NT.K-12.3 TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS
• Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.
NT.K-12.4 TECHNOLOGY COMMUNICATION TOOLS
• Students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences.