On this day in 1865, a plot to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln was foiled by police in Baltimore, Maryland. The plan involved a group of Confederate sympathizers who wanted to kidnap the president as he traveled by train from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore. The conspirators planned to exchange Lincoln for Confederate prisoners of war and hold him for ransom.
However, their plan was discovered by detectives and Lincoln’s itinerary was changed to avoid the danger. The president safely arrived in Washington, D.C., but tragically, just nine days later, he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre.
The Baltimore Plot, as it came to be known, was just one of several attempts to harm or kill Lincoln during his presidency. He faced threats from both Confederate sympathizers and Northern critics of his policies. Despite the danger, Lincoln remained committed to preserving the Union and abolishing slavery, and he ultimately paid the ultimate price for his beliefs.
