Edwin Booth

Edwin Booth

Introduction

Edwin Booth (“Edwin”) was born on November 13, 1833 in Bel Air, Maryland to the great English actor Junius Booth and his mistress Mary Ann Holmes. He grew up in Maryland, excelling in school and music. He made his stage debut while accompanying his father, appearing as Tressel in the production of Richard III on September 10, 1849 in Boston. Soon, Edwin would start a career as one of the finest stage actors of his time. Edwin and Junius would travel to California, as the gold rush was in full swing, and entertainers were in demand. Sadly, Junius would soon die, but Edwin remained on the west coast, performing to critical acclaim and positive reviews. Following in his father's footsteps, Edwin also began a drinking habit. He toured Hawaii, the South Pacific, and Australia in 1854 to great success and would return to acting in the east two years later.

Discussion

John Wilkes Booth (“Booth” or “John Booth”), born May 10, 1838, was very different than his brother Edwin. John made his theatre debut in August 1855. He started making regular performances in Philadelphia, two years later. He then moved to Richmond in 1858, and grew accustomed to southern life. He also became an active racist and opponent to Abraham Lincoln, contrasting his brother's pro-Lincoln, abolitionist views. Booth would soon take his views to the extreme, in 1859, by joining a Virginia militia unit and witnessing the hanging of the abolitionist John Brown. His military career ended quickly, and Booth shortly continued his successful career on the stage.

After the Civil war began, tensions rose in the Booth family. John Booth, being the only pro slavery member of the family, would engage in such heated arguments with his brother that political talk was soon banned from Edwin's home. Even though he was an extreme supporter of the South in the war, Booth began touring in the North. In 1863, Edwin's wife, Mary, died, leaving Edwin to raise their daughter Edwina. Edwin subsequently decided to better himself by quitting drinking. Also occurring in that year, while on his way to Richmond, Virginia with his friend John T. Ford (owner of Ford's theatre), Booth saved a man from falling onto the train tracks. That man turned out to be Robert Todd Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln, on break from Harvard University. Robert instantly recognized the famous actor and thanked him for his kindness. The two then parted separate ways. In November 1864, Edwin, Booth, and their brother Junius Jr. appeared together in a production of Julius Caesar at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York City to rave reviews by critics.

On April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln awoke a cheerful man. He had an 11 o'clock meeting with his cabinet, and then was advised by Grant that he could not attend the play that evening. People close to the president speculated Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Grant could not stand each other, explaining Grant's caution. In fact, Secretary of War Edward Stanton feared that a ...