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Johnson was a staunch believer in States’ rights and was blind to the fact that Federal intervention was needed in order to proceed with a successful period of Reconstruction. His predecessor was open to new ideas and willing to compromise for the good of the country. Abraham Lincoln's brilliance stemmed from his ability to adapt to new and foreign circumstances. The Civil War affected him greatly and in the waning days months of the conflict he clearly understood that patience and compassion were essential if reunification was to succeed.

Although they did not always agree, Lincoln and congress worked together in order to be productive as the President's primary goal was restoring the country. He had no interest in political posturing yet was an innately clever politician and possessed the qualities needed for the country to be returned to a state of peace. John Wilkes Booth erased the opportunity for America to reunite in a peaceful manner. While Booth had accomplices, with whom he planned to decapitate the Federal government, he alone pulled the trigger. It is conspicuous and worth noting that Johnson, who was targeted in the larger plot, managed to survive the horrible night of April 14, 1865 unscathed. Secretary of State Seward was attacked and almost killed in his own bed while five members of his household also suffered the wrath of Booth’s accomplice, Lewis Powell. All who were involved with the assassination plot may never be revealed but ,however, one indisputable fact remains; John Wilkes Booth pulled the trigger and ended Abraham Lincoln’s life. Booth erased the best hope of the South and the nation as a whole when he entered the Presidential Box at Ford's Theater the night of April 14, 1865. When Lincoln fell that night, so too did the promise of a peaceful reunification.