The Conspirator Movie free essay sample

The film starts out at Fords theater, downtown D. C. where President Lincoln, Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William H. Seward are attending a play. Lewis Powell and David herald try to kill Secretary of State William H. Seward, but are unsuccessful and only stab him and his son. George Atzerodt was to kill the vice president but we seem George at the bar taking shots, not being able to carry it out and walks out of the theater. This is where we see John Wilkes Booth kill Lincoln from behind about four feet away. Jumping down from the balcony onto the stage saying Sic semper tyrants! as he ran off; That means Thus always to tyrants! The film moves to Mary Surratt being put on trial for housing these assassins in her boarding house. Her son John Surratt escapes from the investigation going on. Frederick Aiken a lawyer is assigned to represent Mary Surratt in the trail, which, even he believes she is guilty. We will write a custom essay sample on The Conspirator Movie or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This trail is a Military tribunal. The impact of Lincolns assassination is leaving the nation struggling to find Justice and wanting the people affiliated with his death killed. There is very little evidence presented to find her 100% guilty. Mary Surratt does not want to make her son look like a bad man, but saying this could show people she is not the one who is guilty but its her son. She only says they were not planning on killing Lincoln but kidnaping him and her son left the house three weeks before Lincolns death. The lesson in the movie is about the Right to a Fair Trial and the right of due process and equal representation before the law as a basic human and constitutional right. But we see in a Military tribunal these can be ignored. In this military tribunal of 10 officers listening to this case, only 4 find her guilty to be hanged by the neck till dead. The Attorney General thinks the country needs to see her still put to Justice. Her lawyer Frederick Aiken gets a Writ from a Judge stating for a re-trail in a public court with a real Jury. We find out in the movie now President Andrew Johnson turned over the Writ. So now Mary Surratt is to be hung till death. We the viewer see government is not always fair. At the end of the movie we learn her son John Surratt is found and put on trial of a Jury of Northern nd Southerners and is not found guilty, he is set free. Summary Page This project is over the movie The Conspirator backed up by many primary resources in history. Robe e or direc ed t this movie and ne provides to snow the lesson about the Presidential assassinations of Lincoln to help understand the significance of the story which, is backed up by real accounts through historical primary resources. The impact of the presidential assassinations is significant for the country, and this movie shows this through greater detail. The movie has a great lesson which I will in detail explain. Through the movie of this presidential assassination of Lincoln, the viewer is shown the patterns of change throughout history and look at how times of social, political, and growth can result in great unfairness. This movie is more than a story of personal courage and sacrifice; it is a movie that has a true story that is eye-opening. The movie starts post-civil War and brings you into Fords theater, with many high American officials, which are there for a play. The men, who are accused later on, are in the house having the plot ready for the assassination of Union officials. The assassins we the viewer learn do not only want to kill the President but the Vice President and the Secretary of State as well. George Atzerodt was to kill the out and walks out of the theater. We see one of the assassins, Lewis Powell, along with David Harold, trying to stab the Secretary of State William H. Seward and his son but are unable to kill him due to his metal cast and then go to stab his son. Lincoln is now shot by John Wilkes Booth from behind after seeing booth Jumping from the balcony of were Lincoln was sitting shouting to the audience Sic semper tyrants! as he ran off; That means Thus always to tyrants! The assassins fleeing on horseback and being able to get away is where I question How? . Booth was found in a barn about to be set ablaze but before he burned alive he was shot. This is where the movie turns to the scene with Frederick Aiken, a new lawyer and Union war hero, not fully willing agrees to defend Mary Surratt. Ms. Surratt we learn is a boarding house owner who is on trial for this conspiracy as well because the assassins use to be boarded at her home. Her son is one of the men who attempted to plot the killing of Lincoln, but we learn does not make her guilty. Through this ourney of Mary Surratt and Frederick Aiken, we see the truth that the country at this time was truly still divided after the war socially. The impact of Lincolns assassination is leaving the nation struggling, and the high officials in America see fit that the country needs to see vengeance paid for this awful doing. Though that is not always constitutional, the movie shows they let a military court or military tribunal takes action on this case. It already is clear they want Ms. Surratt guilty, seems like there is no hope for her from the beginning. Even her lawyer Frederick Aiken is trying o find any evidence to find her guilty. This film really shows and goes into the right toa Fair Trial. It is said many times by Frederick Aiken that this women [Ms. Surratt] has a right because the constitution our for fathers wrote and does not need to be over looked in a time of war and disparity of a President assassination. The newspapers seem to be doing the same thing they do today, which is fght one side. The papers tend to want Ms. Surratt guilty, but we learn she truly is not guilty. No evidences are presentenced to convict Ms. Surratt to be hung. Just because some officials think the country need these eople hung, on the base of bringing stability back from a presidents assassination does not make it constitutionally right or tor an innocent women to be ki Surratt is found guilty, not by the officials hearing her case in the trail but by Attorney General James Speed thinking the country need to see Justice paid for the assassination and for her to be killed also. Her lawyer Frederick Aiken gets a Writ from a Judge stating for a re-trail in a public court with a real Jury. Now President Andrew Johnson has the right to overturn the Writ and sees fit this is what is needed also. Government might not always be fair but action was taken with Mary Surratt and she was hung till death. Reflection Page The United States is in a state of turmoil no doubt and what we have learned up to this point in class about Lincolns assignation, people are wanting Justice to be paid against these assassins and people that are involved. I think this film helps point out to us today to appreciate and understand the importance of due process and equal representation before the law as a basic human and constitutional right. We have the right to only being convicted with significant evidence being presented against us. The lesson uses the right to a fair trial as a central theme to explore all the basic rights as listed in the US Constitution. Mary Surratt did not get this basic right, her trail was in-front of a Military Tribunal and many of her basic constitutional rights were ignored. Her basic human rights were violated in this trail, as a result an innocent women might have been murdered Just for Justice. The impact of a presidential assassination was tragic for the country. This impact changed the relationship between the citizens and their president; presidents now feared the opulation. The North was determined to follow Lincolns instruction in the attempt of reconstruction and accept Southerners back into the Union. The South, hanging its head in mourning for the Confederacy, was Just beginning to accept the fact that it was merged back into the Union once again. The death of Lincoln ignited fierce controversy on both sides. Many Southerners were absolutely elated that the Confederacy struck again, even in defeat, and praised Booths daring deed. Knowing this fact sent many Northerners into a tailspin, wanting to seek revenge on the South. The impact of Lincolns death now was more than Justice being done but having to bring the country back together after a long hard war with a president Just being assassinated will be difficult. Stanton in the film claims that his choice is between the survival of the nation and abiding by the Constitution. I do not agree that these two options were mutually exclusive, the survival of the nation should not be compared with having Justice and really when Justice means maybe killing an innocent person and removing her rights that the constitution has outlined. In the film it presents nother hard ideal of when Aiken accuses Secretary of War Edwin Stanton of being after revenge, not Justice. I think this shows how Edwin wanted Mary Surratt to be put to death because Lincoln was his friend and wanted anyone that could be associated to have harsh verdicts. We learned in class that there were 371 witnesses in this case brought against Mary Surratt. Having that many witnesses shows the emotion behind this case from both sides. By the end of the trail I look back and see how many witnesses for the defense were probably paid for their words trying to convict Ms. Surratt. This film shows not fair or Just action taken against Mary Surratt but maybe is a place to learn so this action will not happen again in America. A lot of this film was filmed in my hometown of Savannah, Ga. I saw first-hand the props and ditterent things they used. I tully think it done in any other way wouldnt get the tull true message across. The props and scene portrays true 1865 brought this movie together in a way of being able to state and show a true story about American tragedy. Fort Pulaski was a great place to film too because the trail looked in place being done in the fort.