After President Lincoln was fatally shot, the police moved quickly to arrest Confederate sympathizers suspected of being involved in a conspiracy with assassin John Wilkes Booth. Almost immediately they arrested Mary Surratt. She claimed to be innocent and was the only woman among the accused. Evidence against Mary was questionable, but in the end she was convicted and hanged for her supposed part in the conspiracy on the 7th of July, 1865.

Only 2 years later, it was found that the witnesses who had testified against her had lied. Mary's son was also thought to be involved in the conspiracy, but he managed to flee to Canada. It's believed John Wilkes Booth planned his operation in Mary's boarding house.

Mary became the first woman in US history to be executed by the government. And, as it turned out, she died for nothing.

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