Ford’s Theatre Explorations – Middle School
Dear Teacher:
Thank you for bringing your class to visit the Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site. This
museum guide is intended to deepen student understanding of Abraham Lincoln’s
presidency and Washington during the Civil War.
BEFORE YOU VISIT THE MUSEUM: Below are pre-visit materials that will assist you
in your visit.
 Vocabulary List: This list is important to review with your students because it will
help them complete the guide. You may wish to provide the students with copies.
 List of museum exhibits and map: These are included so you can become familiar
with the museum before you arrive. We also encourage you to look at the virtual
tour of the museum on our website, which you can find at:
http://www.fords.org/sites/default/files/virtualTour/index.html
 Please provide a copy of the guide to each of your students and ask them to bring
something to write on and a pencil. Pens are NOT allowed in the museum.
IN THE MUSEUM: This packet includes two different guides around which to structure
your museum visit. As your students go through the museum, you may also wish to fill
out a guide along with them.
1. Ford’s Theatre Museum Guide – a general overview of the museum and key
moments in Lincoln’s presidency.
2. Ford’ Theatre Museum Guide: Lincoln the Leader – a more challenging guide
which focuses on Lincoln’s leadership abilities and legacy.
BACK IN THE CLASSROOM: The last page of this packet, titled “Classroom
Conversations,” is intended to be completed once you return to your classroom.
Questions presented on these pages are meant to facilitate discussion on material that
your students learned at the site. We suggest having students discuss these questions in
pairs or small groups.
We hope you enjoy your visit!
A capacity, and taste, for reading, gives access to whatever has already been
discovered by others. It is the key, or one of the keys, to the already solved problems. And
not only so. It gives a relish, and facility, for successfully pursuing the [yet] unsolved
ones.
-- Abraham Lincoln, September 30, 1859, Address before the Wisconsin State
Agricultural Society
For more information contact
education@fords.org
Before Your Visit: For the Teacher
Museum Vocabulary














abolish – to do away with; put an end to. Abraham Lincoln wanted to abolish
slavery.
artifact – a man-made object from another time period or culture. My favorite
artifact from the Lincoln family’s home is Tad’s toy sword
assassinate – to kill suddenly or secretively, often for political reasons. John
Wilkes Booth used a pistol to assassinate President Lincoln.
Cabinet – the President’s advisors. Abraham Lincoln depended on members of
his Cabinet to think about problems from many viewpoints.
Confederacy – during the Civil War, the eleven Southern states which rebelled
and left the United States; also called the Confederate States of America.
Jefferson Davis was the President of the Confederacy.
conspiracy – a secret or unlawful plan or plot involving two or more people. John
Wilkes Booth was the leader of the conspiracy to harm President Lincoln.
contraband – illegal goods taken into or out of a country against the law; during
the Civil War, slaves who escaped to the North were considered contraband.
When escaped slaves were found in the North, the people helping them could get
in trouble for smuggling contraband.
emancipate – to free. Southern slave owners disliked Lincoln because he wanted
to emancipate all the slaves in America.
inauguration – an act or ceremony formally beginning something. The President
takes an oath of office during his inauguration.
institution – an established and accepted pattern, custom, law, or behavior. The
institution of slavery was a central part of Southern life.
orator – a public speaker or speech maker. We know President Lincoln was a
talented orator because he gave famous speeches like the Gettysburg Address.
proclamation – a public and official announcement. On New Year’s Day, 1863,
Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which announced that all slaves
in Southern states were free.
secede – to withdraw from an organization, alliance, or association. In 1860,
South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union.
Union – the United States of America; during the Civil War, the Northern states.
Abraham Lincoln did not want the South to secede because he wanted the Union
to remain intact.
For more information contact
education@fords.org
Museum Map and Exhibit Guide
The following list summarizes the exhibits you will encounter if you follow the suggested
path on the map above during your visit.







Entrance/Washington in the 1860s – describes life in Washington in the early
1860s and the challenges Lincoln faced as he made his way to the city and took
up his responsibilities as President.
Video: “We Must Not Be Enemies” – Lincoln’s First Inauguration
Lincoln’s Cabinet/A Swarm of Office Seekers – describes how Lincoln filled
government positions, shows the contrast between modern presidents and
Lincoln, and relates humorous anecdotes about the President.
The U.S. Sanitary Commission & quilt artifact – illustrates civilian war efforts
Video: “The March to War” – describes the outbreak of the Civil War and the
controversial decisions Lincoln made as the war progressed
The Improvised War – describes two of Lincoln’s most influential generals and
provides a timeline of important events in the early years of the Civil War
Life in the White House – introduces the Lincoln Family and details their daily
life in Washington
For more information contact
education@fords.org












Freedom Road/Emancipation – presents milestones of Lincoln’s career on the
path to emancipation and the elimination of slavery in the United States
Video: “We Cannot Escape History” – Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass
Lincoln and the Theatre – describes Lincoln’s love of theatre and the release it
provided him from the stresses of office
Lincoln’s Daily Life & ‘The Bubble’ – recreated office with electronic desk
presents a selection of the tasks and challenges Lincoln dealt with on a daily
basis.
A Revolving Door of Union Generals– examines Lincoln’s frustrating search for
a general willing to take the necessary steps to victory.
Video: “The Gettysburg Address” – delivered by four modern presidents and
narrated by Tom Brokaw
1864: Year of Decisions – follows Lincoln’s difficult campaign for re-election as
the tide of the war turned.
Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address – explores Lincoln’s vision for his second
term through quotations from his inaugural address
Surratt Boarding House & the Conspiracy – introduces John Wilkes Booth and his
fellow conspirators, and features artifacts from the assassination plot, including
the deringer pistol used by Booth to assassinate Lincoln.
Visiting Richmond – describes the decisive Union campaigns of early April 1865
which eventually proved to mean the end of the Confederacy.
Lincoln’s Last Speech – in the wake of Confederate General Lee’s surrender at
Appomattox Court House, Lincoln speaks of his intentions for reuniting the
country
The Performance – displays artifacts related to the April 14, 1865 performance of
Our American Cousin at which Lincoln was assassinated.
For more information contact
education@fords.org
Ford’s Theatre Museum Guide – Middle School #1
Name:____________________________________ Date: _____________
Washington in the 1860s
In 1861 when Abraham Lincoln was elected president, Washington was a
new, rough, and unsanitary city.
1. Look at the map and photographs of Washington in the 1860s, read the
information on the panel at the very bottom of the stairs, and watch the video
about Lincoln’s First Inauguration. List four things you notice that have
changed about Washington since 1861.
 _____________________________________________
 _____________________________________________
 _____________________________________________
 _____________________________________________
Life in the White House
Find the family photo gallery and read the panels that tell about Willie and
Tad Lincoln.
1. What are some things Willie and Tad liked to do for fun?
2. In the photo gallery, find the large drawing of four members of the
Lincoln family. In the image, who is in the portrait on the wall behind the
Lincolns, and why is he included like this?
For more information contact
education@fords.org
3. How do you think being a kid in the Lincoln White House was different
or similar to being a kid in the White House today? Use this chart to list the
ways.
Similar
Different
4. In the display case, find an artifact which belonged to Tad Lincoln.
________________________________
5. Choose another artifact from the case: _______________________
What is it for? Do you think an object like this is still used in the White
House today? Explain why or why not.
For more information contact
education@fords.org
Freedom Road / Emancipation
In 1861 there were 4 million (4,000,000) slaves in the United States.
Lincoln hated the institution of slavery but did not think he had the legal
authority to attack or abolish it.
1. As a young man what did Lincoln see in New Orleans that had a big
impact on his view of slavery?
2. How do you think the lives of emancipated slaves changed?
3. Do you think anything stayed the same for freed slaves?
Watch the video about the friendship between Abraham Lincoln and
Frederick Douglass.
1. How did Frederick Douglass influence President Lincoln’s view of the
slaves during the Civil War?
For more information contact
education@fords.org
The Theatre & The President’s Day
Visit the theatre box and then the recreated office in the red-carpeted area to
learn how Lincoln spent his time during his presidency.
1. What did Lincoln like to do to relax? Name two things.
 _______________________________________
 _______________________________________
The Conspiracy and Assassination
President Lincoln was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre by John Wilkes Booth.
Booth was a famous actor who was upset that the South was losing the Civil
War and that Lincoln had just been re-elected. He hatched a conspiracy – a
secret plot – to kill the President, Vice President, and Secretary of State.
Walk inside the Surratt Boarding House and meet the conspirators.
1. Choose one of the conspirators to study closely. Touch the life-size
statue of your conspirator. Does this look like someone who would carry
out a violent plan to kill the president? Think about why or why not.
2. Look at the photograph of your conspirator and read about him or her.
What was his or her name?
_________________________________________
What was his or her role in the plan?
What happened to him or her after Lincoln’s death?
For more information contact
education@fords.org
3. Walk around to the large exhibit case and look at the artifacts. Draw a
picture of an artifact you think is interesting in the box below.
Who owned this artifact? ________________________________________
How was it used in the conspiracy?
For more information contact
education@fords.org
Ford’s Theatre Museum Guide: Middle School #2
Lincoln the Leader
Name:______________________________
Date:____________
Enter the museum and follow the stairs down to the train platform. Listen to the
speaker describe Lincoln’s arrival in Washington, D.C. at the start of his
presidency.
1. Lincoln asked, “What would the nation think of its President stealing
into its capital like a thief in the night?” From this quotation, what can
you guess about Lincoln’s views on how a leader should behave?
Move ahead to the statues of office seekers who surrounded Lincoln asking for
favors. Read the stories in the flip books on the display.
2. Compare and contrast Lincoln’s relationship with the public with that
of modern presidents and the public.
Similarities
Differences
For more information contact
education@fords.org
3. What does Lincoln’s approach to dealing with these petitioners reveal
about the president’s leadership style?
Move forward to the Fort Sumter display, “The March to War,” and watch the
video about the outbreak of the Civil War.
4. Lincoln angered Chief Justice Taney by suspending the Writ of
Habeas Corpus in Maryland. What did that law guarantee?
5. When Lincoln was criticized for violating a Constitutional right, he
replied, “often a limb must be amputated to save a life; but a life is never
wisely given to save a limb.” What did he mean by this? Do you agree
with Lincoln?
For more information contact
education@fords.org
Next visit the theatre display and the recreation of Lincoln’s office to learn more
about the day-to-day business of running the country..
6. List three issues and decisions other than those related to the war which
Lincoln dealt with as president.
a. ________________________________________
b. ________________________________________
c. ________________________________________
Today Lincoln is famous for his speeches and his skill as an orator. Watch the video
about the Gettysburg Address to hear how he transformed this aspect of the
presidency. Then cross the room and visit the displays about Lincoln’s bid for reelection in 1864.
7. Compare the Election of 1864 and the candidates’ campaign strategies
with presidential elections today.
Similarities
Differences
Walk towards the tree and on your right look for the panel depicting Lincoln’s
second inauguration. Read the quotation from his inauguration speech: “With
malice toward none, with charity for all…”
8. How does this speech set Lincoln apart from the other politicians of his
time?
For more information contact
education@fords.org
Now pass under the stairs and enter the replica of Mary Surratt’s boarding house.
Look at the artifacts belonging to the conspirators in the large case to the left.
9. What do you think is the most useful artifact used to carry out the
conspiracy?
10. What do you think is the most surprising or unusual artifact used by the
conspirators? Explain you answer.
Exit the Boarding House through the doorway on the left and read the panel near
the stairs titled “Lincoln’s Last Speech.”
11. When he gave this speech, Lincoln naturally assumed he still had almost
four years ahead of him as president. What do you think he planned to
achieve in that time period? What obstacles would he have faced? Based on
what you’ve learned about Lincoln so far, how do you think he would have
addressed those issues?
For more information contact
education@fords.org
Classroom Conversations
Individual Work
What is your favorite part of the museum? Explain your answer.
Draw a picture illustrating something you learned during your visit to Ford’s Theatre
which you never knew before. Then have the whole class combine their illustrations to
create a mural of everything you’ve learned about President Lincoln and Civil War
Washington.
Partner/Group Work:
1. Think back over the museum and the quotations you encountered from four of
Lincoln’s most famous speeches: his first inaugural speech (“we must not be
enemies”), the Gettysburg Address, his second inaugural speech (“with malice
toward none”) and his last speech (in which he suggested giving the right to vote
to former slaves). Brainstorm a list of ideal qualities in a leader which you think
Lincoln possessed, as indicated in his speeches.
2. How do you think American history and life following the Civil War would have
been different, especially in the Reconstruction-era South, if Lincoln had not been
assassinated? Brainstorm with your group and record some of your ideas.
For more information contact
education@fords.org