Abraham Lincoln: Life, Death, and 17 Burials

Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in a theater was just the beginning of a bizarre odyssey: his body was moved 17 times before finally resting in Springfield, Illinois. The 16th president led the country through its bloodiest war and signed the Emancipation Proclamation, yet his own funeral journey became a second epic that mirrored the nation’s struggle to heal.

Born: February 12, 1809 ·
Died: April 15, 1865 ·
Presidency: 1861–1865 ·
Political Party: Republican ·
Height: 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) ·
Children: 4 sons

Eight key facts about the 16th president:

What was Abraham Lincoln so famous for?

Emancipation Proclamation

• On January 1, 1863, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring freedom for slaves in Confederate states (National Archives original document).
• It transformed the Civil War into a fight for human freedom and paved the way for the 13th Amendment.

Preserving the Union

• Lincoln led the Union during the American Civil War (1861–1865), refusing to let the Southern states secede (White House Historical Association).
• His leadership kept the nation intact through four years of bitter conflict.

Gettysburg Address

• In November 1863, Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address, redefining the war as a struggle for “a new birth of freedom” (Library of Congress Gettysburg Address collection).
• The speech, lasting just two minutes, became one of the most quoted in American history.

The implication: Lincoln’s fame rests on three pillars – ending slavery, saving the Union, and redefining the nation’s purpose. Few presidents have shaped the country’s identity so profoundly.

Was Abraham Lincoln a Republican or Democrat?

Republican Party origins

• Lincoln was a member of the Republican Party, which he helped found in the 1850s as a anti-slavery coalition (Wikipedia general biography).
• He became the first Republican president in 1861.

Lincoln’s political career

• Before the presidency, Lincoln served as a Whig in the Illinois state legislature and one term in the U.S. House of Representatives (1847–1849) (Britannica biography).
• His political views evolved, but he remained a Republican for the rest of his life.

What this means: The question “Republican or Democrat?” reflects modern partisan divisions. Lincoln’s Republican Party was the liberal, anti-slavery party of its day – a reminder that party labels shift over time.

What happened to Abraham Lincoln when he died?

Assassination at Ford’s Theatre

• On April 14, 1865, Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth while watching the comedy Our American Cousin at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. (Library of Congress assassination essay).
• Booth, a Confederate sympathizer, escaped but was killed later by Union soldiers.

Death and aftermath

• Lincoln died at 7:22 a.m. on April 15, 1865, in the Petersen House across from the theater (Library of Congress timeline).
• His body was taken to the White House, then a public funeral was held on April 19 (Library of Congress timeline).
• The funeral train departed Washington on April 21, traveling 1,700 miles through 180 cities and seven states (Library of Congress Guides).

The catch: Lincoln’s death made him a martyr, but it also left the nation without his leadership during Reconstruction, a period that proved nearly as divisive as the war itself.

Who assassinated Lincoln and why?

John Wilkes Booth

• John Wilkes Booth, a well-known actor and Confederate sympathizer, fired the fatal shot (Ford’s Theatre assassination details).
• After shooting Lincoln, Booth shouted “Sic semper tyrannis!” (Thus always to tyrants) (National Archives assassination account).

Motives for assassination

• Booth opposed Lincoln’s plans to grant voting rights to Black men (History.com assassination background).
• He saw Lincoln as a tyrant who had trampled states’ rights and the Southern way of life.

The pattern: Booth’s act failed to achieve its goal – it rallied Northern support for the Union cause and made Lincoln a symbol of freedom.

Why was Lincoln buried 17 times?

The journey of Lincoln’s body

• After the funeral train arrived in Springfield on May 3, 1865, Lincoln’s body was placed in a receiving vault at Oak Ridge Cemetery (Abraham Lincoln Online tomb timeline).
• Over the next 36 years, his remains were moved 17 times due to construction of the permanent tomb, security concerns, and family wishes (Abraham Lincoln Online tomb timeline).
• One notable move: in 1876, a group of thieves attempted to steal Lincoln’s body and hold it for ransom, prompting the Lincoln Tomb guard to hide the coffin (History.com body-snatching attempt).

Final resting place

• Lincoln was finally interred in the concrete-and-steel reinforced Lincoln Tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery in 1901 (Abraham Lincoln Online tomb timeline).
• Today, the tomb is a National Historic Landmark visited by millions.

The pattern: Each move reflected the nation’s struggle to honor its fallen leader while protecting his remains from desecration – a bizarre footnote that underscores how deeply Lincoln was loved (and feared) even in death.

Is Lincoln’s bloodline still alive?

Lincoln’s children

• Lincoln had four sons: Robert, Edward, William, and Tad (White House Historical Association).
• Only Robert Todd Lincoln survived to adulthood; Edward died at age 3, William at 11, and Tad at 18 (Wikipedia Lincoln children).

Descendants today

• Robert Todd Lincoln had three children, and his descendants continue to live today (Abraham Lincoln Online descendants).
• However, no direct descendants with the Lincoln surname remain – the last Lincoln-name male descendant died in 2021 (History.com Lincoln descendants).

What this means: While Lincoln’s biological legacy lives on through Robert Todd’s line, the surname Lincoln itself has ended. The family’s story is a quiet reminder that even the most famous names eventually fade.

Lincoln’s assassination and the 17 burials of his body reflect a nation that could not let go of its wartime leader. For modern Americans, the lesson is that leadership in a crisis leaves a mark that outlasts any single life – and the struggle to preserve a legacy can be as dramatic as the legacy itself. Historians must keep digging into the archives before the myth overtakes the man.