The audience was in high spirits.
When the president entered the theater, people applauded and cheered.
Lincoln smiled and acknowledged the crowd before taking his seat in a decorated theater box overlooking the stage.
For a brief time, he appeared relaxed.
The war was ending.
The Union had survived.
The nation was beginning to heal.
But hidden among the audience was a man who had very different plans.
The Man Who Hated Lincoln
His name was John Wilkes Booth.
A well-known actor and passionate supporter of the Confederacy.
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