What event is John Wilkes Booth most infamously remembered for?

John Wilkes Booth is most infamously remembered for assassinating President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865, at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. This event marked a significant and tragic moment in American history, as Lincoln was the first sitting president to be assassinated. Booth, a well-known actor and fervent supporter of the Confederacy, carried out the assassination out of his belief that he was aiding the Southern cause at a time when the Civil War was coming to an end.

The assassination had profound implications for the nation, leading to a state of mourning and political instability in the immediate aftermath. It sparked intense debates about the future of Reconstruction and the nation’s reconciliation with the South. As a result of his act, Booth became a symbol of treachery and violence amidst a turbulent period in American history, ensuring his infamy would endure far beyond his own life.