Mary Surratt

Mary Surratt was a key figure in American history, known primarily for her involvement in the conspiracy to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln in 1865. She ran a boarding house in Washington, D.C., where conspirators, including John Wilkes Booth, met to plan the assassination. Surratt was arrested, tried, and ultimately convicted of conspiracy. She became the first woman executed by the U.S. federal government on July 7, 1865. Her trial and execution raised significant questions about justice, due process, and the treatment of women in wartime, making her a controversial figure in the history of the Civil War era.