After attending Lincoln's last public address, on April 11, 1865, in which Lincoln stated his preference that the franchise be conferred on some black men, specifically "on the very intelligent, and on those who serve our cause as soldiers", Booth hatched a plot to assassinate the President.
ˈæftɚɹ ɐtˈɛndɪŋ lˈɪŋkənz lˈæst pˈʌblɪk ɐdɹˈɛs, ˌɔn ˈeɪpɹəl ɪlˈɛvən, wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti fˈaɪv, ɪnwˌɪtʃ lˈɪŋkən stˈeɪɾᵻd hɪz pɹˈɛfɹəns ðætðə fɹˈæntʃaɪz biː kənfˈɜːd ˌɔn sˌʌm blˈæk mˈɛn, spəsˈɪfɪkli "ɔnðə vˈɛɹi ɪntˈɛlɪdʒənt, ænd ˌɔn ðoʊz hˌuː sˈɜːv ˌaʊɚ kˈɔːz æz sˈoʊldʒɚz", bˈuːθ hˈætʃt ɐ plˈɑːt tʊ ɐsˈæsᵻnˌeɪt ðə pɹˈɛzɪdənt.