The first killing of a President in American history, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln shook the nation with grief and rage. This study refutes the elaborate conspiracy theories that have surrounded Lincoln's death and uncovers evidence about the murder and its aftermath. The author examines public opinion of the time - as reflected in newspapers, diaries, letters, sermons and transcripts of the pre-trial investigation and the trial itself - to understand how and why the public and the military reacted as they did.