Conspiracy theory about assassination of Abraham Lincoln | Gary Gallagher and Lex Fridman

The conversation explores the American tendency to develop conspiracy theories about presidential assassinations, with particular focus on Lincoln's death. Gallagher explains that a long literary tradition began with chemist Otto Eisenschiml implicating Secretary of War Stanton and radical Republicans who allegedly wanted Lincoln removed because they thought he was too lenient on the South and believed they could manipulate Andrew Johnson as a replacement. Conspiracy theorists posed questions about security lapses, such as why the only unguarded Potomac bridge was the one Booth crossed, why Grant didn't attend the theater, and why Lincoln's guard was absent. However, Gallagher notes these questions all have straightforward answers—Mrs. Grant didn't like Mrs. Lincoln, Booth was familiar with the theater layout and had planned the assassination carefully, and the guard simply left his post for a drink.

Fridman acknowledges the psychological appeal of conspiracy theories, noting that catastrophic historical events caused by seemingly random actions feel unsatisfying. Gallagher agrees, explaining that people prefer believing in larger systems at work rather than accepting that over 700,000 deaths in the Civil War culminated in a president being killed by one actor who broke his leg jumping from a stage. Fridman and Gallagher reflect on the tragic irony that Lincoln survived the entire Civil War only to be assassinated during peacetime, and that he wasn't even present at the grand review of victorious troops in Washington. They conclude that Lincoln's death would have made Reconstruction smoother, though neither can predict exactly how different the outcome would have been.