Eulogies

Lincoln’s assassination by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre on April 15, 1865, shocked the nation. The Civil War was not over but was in its final days, and across the Union there was an outpouring of grief for the President. Following this sensational tragedy, the manifestations of public mourning took many forms. Printed eulogies and poetic and prose memorials to Lincoln were printed by the thousands in small towns and large cities. These personal and yet public displays of grief and admiration helped codify Lincoln’s narrative in the national memory and frame his significance for future generations.