Lincoln: Conspiracy! Part Three - EP 117

Part three on the Lincoln assassination, Sean, Jorge, and Eric unravel what happened after the smoke cleared at Ford’s Theatre — when the manhunt ended, and the trials began. What followed was one of the most controversial military tribunals in American history, and possibly one of the most consequential.

With John Wilkes Booth dead, the government turned its attention to the surviving conspirators — Mary Surratt, Lewis Powell, David Herold, and George Atzerodt — along with several others. The trial was held by a military commission, not a civilian court, and was filled with dramatic testimonies, shadowy witnesses, and rushed judgments. In this episode, the boys break down the wild scenes of the trial: from Lewis Powell’s chilling stoicism to Mary Surratt’s emotional pleas and the public outrage surrounding her execution — the first of a woman by the U.S. government.

But that’s only half the story.

What if Booth wasn’t just an angry actor, but part of something deeper? Sean, Jorge, and Eric peel back the layers of conspiracy that have haunted this case for over 150 years. From claims that Secretary of War Edwin Stanton may have orchestrated a cover-up, to Finis Bates’ shocking assertion that Booth lived under a false identity for decades — we explore how missing diary pages, secret societies like the Knights of the Golden Circle, and a strange article in Life Magazine from 1938 have kept the rumors alive. Was this really justice, or a carefully managed narrative?

Join the boys as they dive into the courtroom drama, the ethics of wartime justice, and the enduring mysteries behind one of the darkest moments in American history. The trial may have ended in hangings, but for many, the questions never stopped.

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