The Conspirator (2011) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Frederick Aiken was asked to take on Mary Surratt's defense by his mentor, Reverdy Johnson, who was struggling to mount an effective defense due to his Southern sympathies. Though Aiken initially had doubts about Mary's innocence, he agreed to serve as co-counsel because he believed in the fundamental right to a fair trial, even for someone accused of a crime as heinous as assassinating the President. His sense of duty as a Union veteran and lawyer compelled him to take on this politically dangerous case.

Foreshadowing: Aiken's commitment to justice is established early when he agrees to help investigate Mary's concerns about her daughter Anna.

• frederick aiken
• mary surratt
• defense lawyer
• trial
• loyalty

The film presents substantial ambiguity around Mary's guilt. While the prosecution argued she knowingly hosted conspirators at her boarding house and provided weapons, Mary claimed the original plan was only to kidnap Lincoln, not kill him, and that Booth acted independently. Aiken struggled throughout the trial to prove her innocence, and the evidence against her was largely circumstantial, relying heavily on testimony from witnesses like John Lloyd and Louis Weichmann.

Foreshadowing: The ticket with the initials 'LJW' that Aiken discovers becomes crucial in challenging the prosecution's narrative.

• mary surratt
• guilt
• conspiracy
• lincoln assassination
• boarding house

Mary Surratt was found guilty on all charges and originally sentenced to life in prison. However, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton intervened and influenced President Andrew Johnson to override the sentence, leading to her execution alongside David Herold, George Atzerodt, and Lewis Powell. This was highly unusual, as Surratt was a woman in an era when women were rarely executed, and the decision remains controversial. The other conspirators, Samuel Mudd, Samuel Arnold, Michael O'Laughlen, and Edman Spangler, received prison sentences but not death.

Foreshadowing: Stanton's influence over the trial was established early through his mandate to arrest all suspects.

• mary surratt
• execution
• life sentence
• edwin stanton
• andrew johnson

According to Mary Surratt's defense during the trial, Booth originally planned to kidnap President Lincoln rather than kill him. The conspirators discussed abducting Lincoln and holding him for ransom as leverage to release Confederate prisoners of war. Mary claims Booth misinformed the group about the President's whereabouts just two weeks before the assassination, leading him to act alone and change the plan from kidnapping to murder. This revelation suggested that many of the conspirators, including Mary, may not have known about the assassination plot.

Foreshadowing: The shift from kidnap to assassination is hinted at in the early chaos following the assassination when Booth declares his motive as avenging the South.

• john wilkes booth
• kidnapping
• assassination
• abraham lincoln
• conspiracy plan

Louis J. Weichmann was a seminary friend of John Surratt (Mary's son) who had been living at the boarding house. He testified for the prosecution that he witnessed John Surratt meeting secretly with John Wilkes Booth and other conspirators at the house. Aiken skillfully questioned Weichmann's credibility, exposing inconsistencies in his testimony and suggesting he may have been involved in the conspiracy himself. The ticket with the initials 'LJW' that Aiken discovered became important evidence in challenging the prosecution's case against Mary.

Foreshadowing: Aiken finds the crucial ticket with 'LJW' initials while investigating in Mary's cell.

• louis weichmann
• testimony
• john surratt
• booth
• evidence

John Surratt, Mary's son and one of the suspected conspirators, managed to escape capture and fled abroad. He was eventually captured fifteen months after the trial and imprisoned. When Aiken visited him in prison, John expressed gratitude for Aiken's kindness toward his mother but rejected the rosary Aiken offered as a gesture of comfort. The film notes that a year after this meeting, the U.S. Supreme Court established the landmark ruling in Ex parte Milligan, affirming the right to be tried by a civilian jury even during wartime.

Foreshadowing: The search for John Surratt is mentioned early in the timeline as authorities intensify their efforts.

• john surratt
• captured
• imprisoned
• escape
• rosary

Aiken's defense of Mary Surratt came at a significant personal cost. When he entered the prestigious Century Club, he learned that his membership had been revoked because of his decision to defend a woman accused of involvement in President Lincoln's assassination. This professional and social ostracism reflected the intense public sentiment against anyone perceived as sympathetic to the conspirators. The loss of his membership symbolized the broader rejection Aiken faced for taking on this controversial case.

Foreshadowing: This moment comes after Aiken's aggressive cross-examination of witnesses in court.

• century club
• membership
• revoked
• aiken
• social ostracism

The film concludes by noting that one year after John Surratt's imprisonment, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Ex parte Milligan that citizens have the fundamental right to be tried by a civilian jury, even during wartime. This landmark decision established that military tribunals cannot try civilians in areas where civilian courts are operating. While the film doesn't directly connect this ruling to Mary Surratt's case, it suggests that Aiken's efforts contributed to a legacy of protecting civilian rights, providing a sense of historical purpose to his otherwise tragic defeat in saving Mary.

Foreshadowing: Aiken's fight to obtain a writ of habeas corpus foreshadows the constitutional issues at stake.

• ex parte milligan
• supreme court
• civilian jury
• military tribunal
• precedent

Sarah Weston Aiken, Frederick's wife, left him after learning that his Century Club membership had been revoked due to his defense of Mary Surratt. The social stigma and political consequences of his decision proved too great for their marriage to withstand. The film depicts this as a turning point where Aiken's professional commitment to justice directly conflicted with his personal life, forcing him to choose between public acceptance and his moral principles.

Foreshadowing: The tension between Aiken's legal duties and social expectations builds throughout the trial.

• sarah aiken
• marriage
• leaves
• century club
• divorce

During the trial, Chief Prosecutor Joseph Holt called innkeeper John Lloyd to testify that Mary Surratt had provided him with binoculars and instructed him to prepare pistols and whiskey for the night of Lincoln's assassination. This testimony was central to portraying Mary as the orchestrator of the conspiracy. However, Aiken's aggressive cross-examination revealed that Lloyd was an alcoholic, undermining his credibility. Lloyd was ultimately dragged out of the courtroom in a fit of rage after Aiken exposed his alcoholism, significantly weakening the prosecution's case.

Foreshadowing: The binoculars are introduced as key evidence during the courtroom sequence.

• binoculars
• john lloyd
• testimony
• evidence
• pistols

Aiken pleaded with Anna Surratt to testify on behalf of her mother, hoping her testimony would reveal discrepancies in the evidence against Mary. Eventually, Anna did provide a sworn statement, but her testimony actually shifted some of the blame onto her brother John, suggesting he was more directly involved in the conspiracy than Mary. This complex position reflects the loyalty conflicts within the Surratt family, as Anna struggled between protecting her mother and revealing the truth about her brother's actions.

Foreshadowing: Mary's concern for her daughter Anna is established early when she asks Aiken to check on her.

• anna surratt
• testimony
• john surratt
• blame
• family loyalty

Secretary of War Edwin Stanton was the driving force behind the investigation and prosecution of the conspirators. He mandated the arrest of all suspects, including Mary Surratt, and oversaw the military tribunal that tried the conspirators. Stanton's influence was crucial in ensuring the harsh sentences, including overriding Mary's life sentence to order her execution. The film portrays Stanton as a powerful political figure manipulating the trial process to achieve a swift and decisive outcome, raising questions about whether justice was truly served.

Foreshadowing: Stanton's order for mass arrests is one of the first events after Lincoln's death.

• edwin stanton
• secretary of war
• arrest
• execution
• influence