The President Lives

Hello, and welcome to The Misfire. This timeline follows the world after the failed plan to assasinate President Lincoln, Vice President Johnson, and Secretary of State Seward on April 14, 1865. As we know, in our world, Seward was severely injured by would-be assassin Louis Powell, and Lincoln was killed by assassin John Wilkes Booth. But imagine a world in which Booth's pistol misfired, and President Lincoln was not killed. How would Reconstruction be different? Unlike many members of his own party, Lincoln wanted a peaceful reconciliation with the South. Would this have come to pass? Would African-Americans have more rights and respect than in OTL? Explore the timeline, and find out for yourself.

Point of Divergence
On the night of April 14, 1865, President Lincoln and his wife Mary Todd Lincoln were attending the play Our American Cousin at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C, accompanied by Major Henry Rathbone and his fiancee Clara Harris. At around 10:25 PM, John Wilkes Booth, a well-known actor who was respected by many, including President Lincoln himself, opened the door to the Presidential Box, aimed his pistol at the back of Lincoln's head, and pulled the trigger. The gun misfired, and Henry Rathbone, who had noticed Booth by this time, leaped out of his seat and on top of Booth. The two men engaged in a violent struggle on the floor, which was eventually apprehended by guards. Booth was sentenced to death after attempting to assasinate President Lincoln, and was executed in Washington, D.C. on April 23, 1865.

IBC World News
July 15, 2017: