John Wilkes Booth shouted "Sic semper tyrannis!" —Latin for "Thus always to tyrants!"—right after shooting President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865, at Ford's Theatre. This Virginia state motto captured his Confederate fervor, framing Lincoln as a tyrant.

Historical Accounts

Eyewitnesses mostly agree on the Latin phrase, yelled as Booth leaped to the stage (fracturing his leg). Major Henry Rathbone, wounded in the chaos, heard "Freedom!" or "Sic semper!" amid the smoke. Booth, a dramatic actor, rehearsed this for theatrical impact.

Varying Witness Reports

  • "Sic semper tyrannis!" (primary, from multiple sources).
  • "The South is avenged!" or "Revenge for the South!" (some theatergoers).
  • "I have done it!" or "The South is free!" (less common variants).

These differences stem from panic and echoes in the packed hall.

Booth's Confederate Motive

A slave-state sympathizer, Booth saw Lincoln's policies as oppression, likening himself to Brutus killing Caesar. He escaped but was killed 12 days later.

Modern Cultural Echoes

The phrase recurs in media like Apple TV+'s Manhunt (2024), sparking forum debates on X and Reddit about its exact wording. Historians affirm "Sic semper tyrannis" as canonical.

TL;DR : "Sic semper tyrannis!"—with minor witness variations. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.