Across the street from Ford's Theatre
On April 14th, 1865 the United States of America's 16th president was shot in the head by John Wilkes Booth, at Ford's Theatre while watching a performance. Abraham Lincoln was beyond influential to the growth of the government and the integrity of America. Americans of all race, gender, and age today have a lot to thank Lincoln for. He was one of the first recognized leaders in the world to advocate equality of all people.
On that day in 1865, Lincoln was so badly wounded in the head that he could not be moved very far. They could not get him to a hospital or the White House for fear of moving his head too much. Across the street was a couple who owned a boarding house and offered up there home to the President (the Petersen House). When walking through their house, each room is set up as it would have been in 1865. Much of the actual furniture has been preserved at a historical museum in DC. There is the living room where Mary Todd Lincoln waited to hear news about Lincoln's status, the bedroom where he was put to be cared for (my mom said when she was a little girl they had the actual pillow with Lincoln's blood on it on display there), and other rooms to look like as they did in 1865. While continuing through the house, a hallway was attached to the next building over, which was set up as an honorary Lincoln museum. This museum went into more detail and had more mementos from the funeral and the life of Lincoln. It is a detailed and very enlightening experience to go through this house.
