54 pages • 1 hour read
James L. SwansonChasing Lincoln's Killer
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2009A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Themes
American Exceptionalism, Sensationalism, and Celebrity Culture
“American exceptionalism” describes the U.S. ethos of individualism and personal responsibility, which is closely tied to representative democracy and laissez-faire economic policies. This ethos provides a ripe backdrop for an obsession with fame and belief that each unique individual has the opportunity to carve out a place in history for oneself, which helps explain why on average approximately 300 individuals run for president in each election since 1980.
While American celebrity obsession may feel as though it’s gotten worse in the technologically infused Facebook era, its roots go far back in American history, as Chasing Lincoln’s Killer shows. Booth was a man propelled by his own hubris to carry out and seek credit for one of the most heinous acts in historical politics. Though Lincoln was shot a little after ten p.m. on April 14, he didn’t die until nearly 7:30 a.m. on April 15. This suggests that there was ample time to attempt to save his life, but all interactions with the President after he was shot seemed motivated by self-interest: Laura Keene creates a scene and bloodies her dress, the doctors seemed paralyzed and stole a lock of his hair, ultimately giving him an unnecessary autopsy to make a name for themselves.
Even if the motivating factor in the confusion following the Lincoln assassination wasn’t hubris, it was money. Even, accurate accounts of history rarely make money, while sensationalism produces financial returns.
Chaos, Confusion, and Moral Ambiguity
The individualistic and pluralistic attitude exhibited by the American ethos also lends itself to confusion and chaos in emergency response. Rather than organize a coordinated, centralized effort to defend the President from possible murder plots and to swiftly deliver justice in the event of an emergency, Lincoln was essentially a sitting duck, as Elizabeth Keckley remarked at his second inaugural address.
Still, those tasked with finding the culprits of the plot for Lincoln’s murder, who therefore represent the morally right side of the law, are portrayed as somewhat bumbling (as exhibited by their odd standoff at the barn where they threatened the owners who gave the fugitives up with retribution for not being successful hostage negotiators) and poor leaders (unable to control Corbett). The reader wonders if they ever would have caught Booth if he had not been served to them on silver platter.
Additionally, Mary Surratt, while admittedly a Confederate sympathizer and the one who physically gave Booth the gun that killed the President, had no knowledge that she was aiding the killer. Yet, she was hung with the rest of the treasonous party. At the same time, the honorable Confederate loyalist Thomas Jones escapes punishment, as does the naval officer who let the fugitives escape across the bridge. Justice in this case was underserved in some circumstances and overly served in others.
Deeply Divided American Politics, “Objectivity,” and Primary Source Material
This book uses primary source material to recreate the circumstances under which Lincoln was murdered and his killers caught. It provides a good example of how to undergo the process of extracting information from primary sources for young adult readers. At the same time, these readers must beware of the subjectivity of the sources themselves and of Swanson’s interpretation. Swanson is a historian serving at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think-tank. Though Lincoln was a Republican, many modern conservatives chafe at Lincoln’s overuse of presidential powers and sympathize with the Confederacy under the guise of states’ rights, sidestepping the important fact that the Confederacy seceded to protect their use of slavery. Therefore, readers should beware to look for Southern sympathy in his novel, and to root out a salacious sensationalism, or even celebration, of Booth and his cause.
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