Abraham Lincoln Assassination Civil War Writing Project Reconstruction Era

In this Abraham Lincoln Assassination CSI investigation, students investigate the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth at the conclusion of the Civil War. Students become experts about Booth's conspiracy and learn about the role Mary Surratt, Lewis Powell, David Herold, Geroge Azterodt, Samuel Mudd, and others had in their plan to overthrow the Union government following the Civil War.

Students investigate the roles of Lewis Powell (also known as Lewis Payne), Dr. Samuel Mudd, George Atzerodt, Mary Surratt, Willie Jett, David Herold, Secretary of State William Seward, and Vice President Andrew Johnson.

In this CSI investigation on Lincoln's assassination, students analyze 7 different sources intended to engage all learners. Students read mock testimony, transcripts, police reports, and letters, and document all of their evidence in their case document guide! Once finished, students determine the guilt or innocence of Booth's co-conspirators based on the evidence!

This resource includes a paper in-class version and a 1:1 Google compatible version to be used in conjunction with Google Classroom. Just follow the included instructions for how to access the Google version, then share the resource through Google or assign via Google Classroom. This will allow students to type directly into the document!