Lincoln Conspirators Hanged: First U.S. Woman Executed
Four people were hanged in the yard of the Old Arsenal Penitentiary in Washington on July 7, 1865, for conspiring with John Wilkes Booth to assassinate President Lincoln. Mary Surratt became the first woman executed by the U.S. federal government, despite significant doubt about her direct involvement. Her son John, an actual conspirator, had fled the country. George Atzerodt was assigned to kill Vice President Andrew Johnson but lost his nerve and spent the night drinking instead. He hanged anyway. Lewis Powell had nearly killed Secretary of State William Seward in his bed. David Herold had guided Booth through Maryland. The military tribunal that convicted them denied civilian judicial review.
July 7, 1865
161 years ago
Key Figures & Places
assassination of Abraham Lincoln
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George Atzerodt
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David Herold
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Lewis Powell
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Mary Surratt
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George Atzerodt
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David Herold
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Lewis Powell (conspirator)
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Mary Surratt
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John Wilkes Booth
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Abraham Lincoln
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