80: Vigilante Vengeance pt.2: Final Act

Grant Thomas
Nov 20, 2024
3 min read

Updated: Aug 7

**Spoiler Alert This week's episode is about people and their eccentricities. It is about nepotism and vengeance and fame. It is about how truly dramatic theater people can be. This week, a deep-dive finale on America’s most infamous theatre kid, John Wilkes Booth. Who was the man who killed Lincoln? Why did Booth kill Lincoln? Who was John Wilkes Booth’s family? Grant and Maia untangle the Booth family’s glitter-and-grit dynasty, trace the chaotic manhunt that followed Lincoln’s murder, and reveal how one bullet reshaped Reconstruction, Black citizenship, and an entire century of civil-rights setbacks. Expect Shakespearean drama, accidental heroics, and the jaw-dropping “What-ifs” that still haunt U.S. history. Grab your popcorn and a strong drink—this is the ultimate backstage pass to the night that changed the nation. Plus, discover the bizarre ways Broadway tried to scrub the Booth name, the eerie coincidences that stalked Lincoln’s only surviving son, and why a broken leg and a tobacco barn became pivotal plot twists. By the end, you’ll never look at standing ovations or political assassinations, the same way again.

Chapters/Key takeaways to listen for

[00:00:00] Catch-Up: Sweaters, wine, and pre-history small talk
[00:25:59] Final Act: Junius Brutus’s 1796 London birth launches an acting dynasty
[00:40:44] From Idol to Extremist: How John Wilkes Booth slid from Shakespearean star to racist firebrand
[01:02:10] Kidnap Plot: Booth’s abandoned scheme to snatch Lincoln for a Confederate POW swap
[01:22:01] Name’s Curse: “Brutus” and Richard III roles foreshadow Booth’s fate
[02:08:30] Barn Showdown: Union burns Garrett’s barn, Corbett’s fatal shot, Booth’s last words
[02:28:17] Reconstruction Upended: How Lincoln’s death let Andrew Johnson gut Black progress
[03:08:22] Age of Reconstruction: Lincoln’s death propels Andrew Johnson’s presidency and the failed promise of Reconstruction for Black Americans

Photos Referenced:

*Three of Junius's sons: Edwin, Junius Jr, and John, performing in Shakespeare's "Julius Cesar", to raise money for a Shakespeare statue in Central Park - Public Domain*

Junius Brutus circa 1850 - courtesy of Wikimedia Commons	John Wilkes Booth - courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Know Nothing party flag	Escape Route - Wikimedia Commons
Edwin Booth portraying Hamlet circa 1870 - Public Domain	Lewis Powell (AKA Lewis Payne), attempted assassin of Seward, photo thought to have been taken in 1865 on the USS Saugus - courtesy of Alexander Gardner, Library of Congress

Quotes:

"When women go through really challenging periods of time, they become incredible authors... when men go through challenging times, they become terrors." - Grant Thomas
"If I want to tell myself a story in my own head, I might as well make it a positive one." - Grant Thomas

Connect with Us

Love a good laugh? Stay in the loop with the Well, I Laughed Podcast! Hit up wellilaughed.com for all the fun, throw some love our way on Patreon at https://patreon.com/WellILaughedPodcast, and send us your wildest listener stories at wellilaughedpod@gmail.com—because let’s be real, we know you’ve got some!