One day a gypsy living in the woods near Cockeysville read John's palm. She said, "Ah, you've a bad hand; the lines all cris-cras! It's full enough of sorrow. Full of trouble. Trouble in plenty, everywhere I look. You'll break hearts, they'll be nothing to you. You'll die young, and leave many to mourn you, many to love you too, but you'll be rich, generous, and free with your money. You're born under an unlucky star. You've got in your hand a thundering crowd of enemies - not one friend - you'll make a bad end, and have plenty to love you afterwards. You'll have a fast life - short, but a grand one. Now, young sir, I've never seen a worse hand, and I wish I hadn't seen it, but every word I've told is true by the signs. You'd best turn a missionary or a priest and try to escape it."

As a teenager Booth attended St. Timothy's Hall, an Episcopal military academy in Catonsville, Maryland. During the 1850's young Booth apparently became a Know-Nothing in politics. The Know-Nothing Party was formed by American nativists who wanted to preserve the country for native-born white citizens. Booth eventually left school after his father died in 1852. He spent several years working at the farm near Bel Air. However, according to his sister, Asia Booth Clarke, Booth's dreams went beyond working at a farm. "I must have fame! fame!" he cried. His goal was to be a famous actor like his father had been.

In August, 1855, when he was only 17 years old, Booth made his stage debut as the Earl of Richmond in Shakespeare's Richard III. Two years passed before he made another appearance on stage. In 1857 Booth played stock in Philadelphia, but he frequently missed cues and forgot his lines. He persevered, however, and came of age in 1858 as a member of the Richmond Theatre. It was in Richmond where he truly became enamored with the Southern people and way of life. As his career gained momentum, many called him "the handsomest man in America." He stood 5-8, had jet black hair, ivory skin, and was lean and athletic. He had an easy charm about him that attracted women.

In 1859 Booth was an eyewitness to the execution of John Brown, the abolitionist who had tried to start a slave uprising at Harpers Ferry. Temporarily wearing a militia uniform, Booth stood near the scaffold with other armed men to guard against any attempt to rescue John Brown before the hanging.

In 1860 Booth's career as an actor took off. Soon he was earning $20,000 a year. He invested some money in the oil business. He was hailed as the "youngest tragedian in the world." He was playing the role of Duke Pescara in The Apostate at the Gayety Theater in Albany, New York, as President-elect Abraham Lincoln passed through on his way to Washington. Over the next several years he starred in Romeo and Juliet, The Apostate, The Marble Heart, The Merchant of Venice, Julius Caesar, Othello, The Taming of the Shrew, Hamlet, and Macbeth among others.

Booth appeared in New York, Boston, Baltimore, Washington, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, St. Louis, Leavenworth, Richmond (before the Civil War), Nashville, New Orleans and several other cities. On November 9, 1863, President Lincoln viewed Booth in the role of Raphael in The Marble Heart at Ford's Theatre (Lincoln sat in the exact same box in which he was later assassinated; besides appearing at Ford's from November 2 to November 15, 1863, Booth made only one other acting appearance in that theater. That occurred on March 18, 1865, when Booth made the last appearance of his career as Duke Pescara in The Apostate. For a detailed accounting of Booth's appearances at Ford's Theatre, Click Here). On November 25, 1864, before a standing room only crowd, Booth (along with his two brothers) played the role of Marc Anthony in Julius Caesar. Critics generally rated John Wilkes Booth as a good actor, but he was considered below the talent level of his father and older brother, Edwin.

In the spring of 1862 Booth was arrested and taken before a provost marshall in St. Louis for making anti-government remarks. He told Asia, "So help me holy God! my soul, life, and possessions are for the South. In the summer and possibly the fall of 1864 Booth occasionally stayed at the McHenry House in Meadville, Pennsylvania. It is known that he registered at the McHenry House on June 10, 1864, and again on June 29, 1864. Most likely his stops in Meadville were to make railroad connections. Scratched on a window pane in Room 22 in the McHenry House were the words "Abe Lincoln Departed This Life August 13th, 1864 By The Effects of Poison." After the assassination, these words drew attention because of Booth's association with David Herold, a druggist's clerk with easy access to poison. Although there has been much speculation as to who may have scratched these words, Booth was not an occupant of the room where the words were scratched. The matter was ignored at the time. The person who actually scratched the words remains a mystery to this day.

"This country was formed for the white not for the black man. And looking upon African slavery from the same stand-point, as held by those noble framers of our Constitution, I for one, have ever considered it, one of the greatest blessings (both for themselves and us) that God ever bestowed upon a favored nation." John Wilkes Booth, November, 1864, in a letter to his brother-in-law.

In the late summer of 1864 Booth began making plans to kidnap Abraham Lincoln. The President would be seized, taken to Richmond, and held in exchange for Confederate soldiers in Union prison camps. This would be a way of swelling the dwindling ranks of Confederate armies. Booth began recruiting a gang of conspirators. Within several months, he had recruited Michael O'Laughlen, Samuel Arnold, Lewis Powell (Paine), John Surratt, David Herold, and George Atzerodt. On March 15th Booth met with the entire group at Gautier's Restaurant on Pennsylvania Avenue about 3 blocks from Ford's Theatre to discuss Lincoln's abduction. Shortly thereafter, Booth learned that Lincoln would be attending a play (Still Waters Run Deep) at the Campbell Hospital just outside Washington on March 17, 1865. It seemed like an ideal time to seize Lincoln in his carriage. However, at the last minute, Booth learned that the President was not going to attend the performance. Rather than attend the play, Lincoln had decided instead to speak to the 140th Indiana Regiment and present a captured flag to the Governor of Indiana. After this failure, some of the conspirators began to "melt" away. (Some Lincoln assassination books say an actual attempt was indeed made on March 17 to kidnap the President. But when the conspirators realized it wasn't Lincoln in the carriage they rode off in disgust. This story is probably untrue and the incident never really took place.

"He (Booth) became a monomaniac on the success of the Confederate arms, a condition which generally follows when a man's thoughts are constantly centered upon one subject alone." Samuel B. Arnold, December 20, 1902, (in the Baltimore American).

Booth had many lady friends. In the spring of 1864 he met a young Boston girl named Isabel Sumner. Isabel, only 16 years old, was very pretty, and Booth exchanged photographs and letters with her.When Booth was sick in New York Isabel sent him flowers. It seems the romance was short-lived, and there is no evidence it lasted beyond the summer of 1864.

Sometime in late 1864 or early 1865, Booth entered into a serious romance with Lucy Lambert Hale, daughter of John Parker Hale, New Hampshire's abolitionist former senator. In January of 1865 the Hales moved into the National Hotel where Booth was staying. (President Lincoln named John Hale to be minister to Spain, and the Hale family was making preparations to sail to Europe). By March Booth was secretly engaged to Lucy Hale. On March 4th Booth attended Lincoln's second inauguration as the invited guest of Lucy. Booth is known to have confided to his actor friend Samuel Knapp Chester, "What an excellent chance I had to kill the President, if I had wished, on inauguration day!" Booth was seen with Lucy at the National Hotel on the morning of the assassination.

Booth's other kidnap plans, such as seizing Lincoln inside a theater, fell through. On April 9, 1865, General Lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox. On April 11 the President gave his last speech from the White House. Booth, Herold, and Powell were in the audience. Among other things, Lincoln discussed possible new rights for certain blacks. He suggested conferring voting rights "on the very intelligent, and on those who serve our cause as soldiers." Booth was enraged! He said, "Now, by God! I'll put him through. That is the last speech he will ever make."

Three days later, on April 14, Booth stopped at Ford's Theatre to pick up his mail. While there he learned of President Lincoln's plans to attend the evening performance of Our American Cousin.