9. Many theorized Vice President Andrew Johnson was responsible fo the death of his superior, Abraham Lincoln
The sixteenth President of the United States, responsible for overseeing the victory of the Union against the Confederate States of America in the American Civil War, just days after the conclusion of the vicious conflict, on April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln attended a performance of Our American Cousin at Ford’s Theater. Shot in the head during said performance by actor John Wilkes Booth, who subsequently leaped onto the stage to proclaim his famous affirmation – “sic semper tyrannis” – Lincoln became the first American head of state to be assassinated, dying the following morning without regaining consciousness from the gunshot wound.
Although the endeavor itself was naturally part of a proven conspiracy intended to revive the lost Confederate cause, involving the planned simultaneous murders of the three most important individuals in government – Lincoln, Seward, and Johnson – only the attack on Lincoln succeeded. Seward was merely wounded by his assailants, whilst Johnson’s would-be attacker did not even attempt his assignment. This latter aspect of history has resulted in an enduring conspiracy theory suggesting the involvement of the Vice President, claiming, without evidence, Johnson sought to take advantage of the post-war situation to eliminate his boss and supplant him in the White House.