logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2024
41m 21s

Encore: Presidential Assassinations | Mu...

Wondery
About this episode

On April 14th, 1865, John Wilkes Booth shot President Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. Lincoln died hours later, shocking the war-torn nation and becoming the first President to be assassinated in office. But he would not be the last.


Sixteen years later, no action had been taken to protect the commander-in-chief. When James Garfield became president in March 1881, a disturbed and delusional former lawyer demanded a position in the new administration. Furious over his rejection, he began to stalk Garfield, determined to exact deadly revenge.


Order your copy of the new American History Tellers book, The Hidden History of the White House, for behind-the-scenes stories of some of the most dramatic events in American history—set right inside the house where it happened.


Listen to American History Tellers on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/american-history-tellers/ now.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Yesterday
Shootout at the O.K. Corral | The Road to Tombstone | 1
In the 1880s the booming silver mining town of Tombstone, Arizona was home to one of the most famous gunfights in American history. Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and Wyatt's brothers try to bring law and order to a small town, but they clash with a gang of outlaw cowboys, leading a l ... Show More
38m 13s
Oct 1
Daring Prison Escapes | Escape from Libby Prison | 5
In early 1864, a group of Union prisoners made a daring escape from Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia - the capital of the Confederacy. Known for its sadistic guards and horrific conditions, Union Officers at Libby suffered from hunger, lice, and the freezing cold. In this episo ... Show More
40m 41s
Sep 24
Daring Prison Escapes | Nazis in the Arizona Desert | 4
During World War II, the United States housed hundreds of thousands of enemy soldiers who had been captured as prisoners of war. Camp Papago Park, located in Phoenix, was built to hold captured German U-boat crew members, some of the most well-trained and ardent members of the Ge ... Show More
37 m
Recommended Episodes
May 2025
Episode 621: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln Part I - All The World's a Stage
The boys are back for a classic historical true-crime deep dive, this time on a fascinating story that's often forgotten about in American History - This week we begin the story of the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, starting with the backstory of the man who took the life of t ... Show More
1h 50m
Aug 10
590. The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln: Death at the Theatre (Part 1)
After passing the 13th amendment, in the closing weeks of the brutal American Civil War, what did president Abraham Lincoln - recently re-elected - do next to inflame his detractors? Crippled with guilt for the death and destruction of the war, was he indeed a unionist tyrant? Wh ... Show More
1h 2m
Jul 15
Murder in Mississippi: The Medgar Evers Assassination Case
For decades, justice for civil rights leader Medgar Evers remained out of reach. Assassinated in his own driveway in 1963, his killer walked free after two all-white juries refused to convict him. But the story didn’t end there. Nearly 30 years later, long-hidden government docum ... Show More
37m 3s
Aug 13
591. The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln: Manhunt for the Killer (Part 2)
How was President Abraham Lincoln murdered on Good Friday 1865, at Ford’s Theatre, just five days after Robert E. Lee’s surrender? Who was John Wilkes Booth, the racist actor with southern sympathies, who assassinated him? How did he escape before the shocked eyes of the packed t ... Show More
1h 7m
Apr 2025
CLASSIC: The Man Who Assassinated Abe Lincoln's Assassin
On April 14th, 1865, John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln in Ford's theatre, escaping shortly thereafter and going on the run. The Federal troops in pursuit of the assassin had orders to bring Booth and any of his conspirators back alive. For most of the soldi ... Show More
34m 56s
Nov 2024
Winston Churchill | The Unsinkable Politician | 2
The First World War sees Churchill as confident as ever in his role as First Lord of the Admiralty. But rash judgements – especially around the disastrous campaign in Gallipoli - cost thousands of lives. The UK press describes him as ‘a danger to the country’, he’s left out of Ll ... Show More
47m 23s
Aug 14
We the People: Succession of Power
The 25th amendment. A few years before JFK was shot, an idealistic young lawyer set out on a mission to convince people something essential was missing from the Constitution: clear instructions for what should happen if a U.S. president was no longer able to serve. On this episod ... Show More
47m 31s
Sep 17
601. Scandal in the White House
Who was Grover Cleveland, and why is he one of the most controversial American Presidents of all time? Why was the run up to his first term, in 1884 at the height of the Gilded Age, so pivotal to American politics? How did he rocket to the heights of political power? What dark se ... Show More
1h 11m
Feb 2025
JFK Conspiracy & The Secret Service - Vincent Palamara | True Crime Podcast 698
Check out Vince Palamara's book: Survivor's Guilt: The Secret Service and the Failure to Protect President Kennedy at this link https://amzn.to/42OALrA vince on yt https://www.youtube.com/results?searc... Guest introduction: Vince Palamara is the leading civilian Secret Service a ... Show More
1h 58m
Jul 2024
STDWYTK: Breaking: Someone Tried To Kill A President
On 13 July, 2024, a person later identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks attempted to assassinate former US President and current Republican Presidential candidate Donald J Trump at a rally held on the Butler Farm Show Grounds near Butler, Pennsylvania. Two civilians were greviously ... Show More
1 h