The Fall program of CVHS will be held virtually on October 24th, at 3:00 PM (EDT). Our presenter, Mr. Jim Baggett, is the Head of the Department of Archives and Manuscripts at the Birmingham Public Library and Archivist for the City of Birmingham. His presentation for our October program will focus on John Wilkes Booth, the infamous assassin of President Abraham Lincoln, and his time spent in the State of Alabama before April of 1865.
Prior to his infamy as America’s first Presidential assassin, John Wilkes Booth was a well-renowned star of the American stage of the 19th century. Born into the celebrated Booth family of actors from Maryland, he and his brother Edwin Booth were known throughout the United States in the late 1850s and early war years. The family traveled all throughout the country, and this included the states of the soon-to-be Confederacy in 1860. Booth is known to have visited Alabama one time. In the fall of 1860, he spent six weeks in Montgomery performing to packed audiences as Romeo, Hamlet, and Richard III. During that time, he witnessed and took part in Alabama’s debates on secession. According to some accounts, Booth was chased out of Montgomery for expressing a strong allegiance to the Union (which is ironic given his later infamy in the northern states for supporting the Confederacy and eventual role as assassin).
While much of Mr. Baggett’s presentation will focus on his actual visit to Alabama, it will also explore a “legend” concerning Booth returning to Alabama after the war (and his subsequent death). In the years that followed Lincoln’s assassination, Booth allegedly revisited Alabama (if only in spirit). Baggett will talk about a legend, originating from one of his former lovers, that Booth did not actually die in 1865, but lived on and traveled to many places. A part of the upcoming presentation will focus on one of his “post-humous journeys” to the State of Alabama in the years following the end of the war.
Jim Baggett currently serves as the President of the Alabama Historical Association (previously serving as President of the Society of Alabama Archivists). He originally graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1986 with a B.A. in History and has since earned two M.A.s in History (the most recent from the University of Alabama in 1997). Jim has lectured throughout the U.S. and in Europe and has been featured on Alabama Public Television, Alabama Public Radio, National Public Radio, and C-SPAN. He has authored two books on Alabama history, edited three others, and has written dozens of articles for various magazines such as The Alabama Review (among others). He also writes the “Reading Birmingham” book column for the online news site BirminghamWatch. Jim lives with his wife and daughter in Birmingham and Mentone, Alabama.
Join us for this very informative and interesting presentation on October 24th. To attend this virtual meeting email ccpowers02@gmail.com prior to 12:00 PM noon (EDT) on Sunday, October 24th. You will then be sent the Zoom link with instructions regarding how to join the meeting.