Ruth Slagle | Bachelor of Arts in History ~ Asbury University | ruth.slagle8@gmail.com ~ rslagle2@illinois.edu
Annotated Bibliography
Selected Sources that were used to add meaning to the documents in Sleeper Family Collection
Booth, Mary Devlin. Ed. L. Terry Oggel. The Letters and Notebooks of Mary Devlin Booth. New York: Greenwood Press,
1987.
Mary Devlin Booth is the first wife of Edwin Booth, Asia and John Wilkes' brother. In her letters she presents an outsider's view of the family, as well as, a perspective on Edwin Booth and some of his career. Edwina was born during their short 2-year marriage. Mary tragically died in 1863 from pneumonia. This work also includes a glimpse into theater life during the 1850's and 1860's.
Clarke, Asia Booth by his sister. Forward Eleanor Farjeon. The Unlocked Book: A Memoir of John Wilkes Booth. New
York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1938.
Original publication of Asia Booth Clarke's memoir, which she had written in secret, bequeathing it to a close friend to be published after the deaths of her husband and Edwin Booth. We can thank her for the publication of her book A Sister's Memoir and in it giving more insider information about the Booth family, John Wilkes Booth, and the assassination of Lincoln. In some ways it is nice to read the first edition even though it was printed 50 years after Asia's death. Asia and John Wilkes had a close relationship throughout their life until he died. Glimpsing into that relationship, through Asia's book, is illuminating as a modern-day historian piecing together what happened 149 years ago. Her memoir is a must read for any Civil War enthusiast. A great primary source to read of the time period.
Clarke, Asia Booth. Ed. Terry Alford. John Wilkes Booth: A Sister's Memoir. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi,
1996.
Republication of Asia Booth Clarke's memoir is a bit different from the original publication in that it includes some different photographs of the family and the forward by Eleanor Farjeon. Eleanor's parents knew Asia Booth Clarke. It is also available in paper and e-book formats. Alford does offer some insight into the family's life through her introduction. Her reprinting of Asia's memoir has brought to the public eye one of the few accounts of the Booths from a family member perspective. This makes the memoir invaluable.
Kimmel, Stanley. The Mad Booths of Maryland. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Company Publishers, 1940.
An early publication and well-researched book about the Booth family. Holds many illustrations and photographs of the family and events relating to them. His vast amount of notes and sources about the book can be found in the University of Tampa MacDonald Kelce Library Special Collections. Provides more in-depth information through a secondary source about different members of the Booth family. Also provides a backdrop to Lincoln's assassination and time period. An excellent resource for any historian or reader interested in this time period.
Smith, Gene. American Gothic: The Story of American's Legendary Theatrical Family - Junius, Edwin, and John Wilkes
Booth. New York: Simon & Schustrer, 1992.
An introduction into the three brothers lives, but not very in-depth. Smith is not on par with Titone with his writing style, in that it does not read like a novel. Still he does share very interesting research and facts about the events leading up to Lincoln's assassination and afterwards. Smith is able to portray how John Wilkes Booth's family did feel about his decision and the effect it had on the rest of their lives. Smith conveys how the tragedy devastated the Booth family dramatically and drastically.
Titone, Nora. My Thoughts Be Bloody: The Bitter Rivalry Between Edwin and John Wilkes Booth that Led to an
American Tragedy. New York: Free Press, 2010.
Titone goes above and beyond on her extensive research and well-written biography of the Booth family. Titone focuses on the relationship between Edwin and John Wilkes Booth. Quite an enjoyable read where the family members are brought to life. Titone is a remarkable writer, making the characters jump off the page while also using her research to backup what she has written. I have found her book to be very helpful in my secondary research on the Booth family.
As graduation was nearing I realized that there are still so many unanswered questions about the Booth and Sleeper families. This is either because the information is no longer in existence or it has not been found to be cataloged. I would like to continue researching the relationships between John Wilkes Booth and his siblings. Through my research I believe that there is more depth to their relationships than meets the eye. It is possible that not everyone in his family talked about their feeling about Wilkes. My goal is to research further and write their stories. ~ Ruth Slagle
We romanticize the past by thinking they were more moral than the present. I realized this while researching and getting to know the Sleeper and Booth families. One of the things that interested me was how social ills do not change over time. Both families engaged in socially unacceptable behavior during the period. From affairs to divorce to murder to bankruptcy completely involving themselves in scandal. At the same time they had emotions from joy to sadness to grief. Emphasizing that humanity is no different today. ~ Ruth Slagle