John Wilkes Booth (left) came from a family of actors. His father, Junius Brutus Booth, Sr. came to the United States from Britain after establishing himself as a successful Shakespearean actor. John's brothers Edwin (center) and Junius Brutus, Jr. (right) had also frequented the Academy of Music's stage. The latter brother was arrested on April 26, 1865 in Philadelphia after a letter he had written raised suspicions that he had known of his brother's plans to assassinate President Lincoln.
