Lincoln Scholarship & Research
The Lincoln Forum and the Question Historians Haven't Answered
Every year, Lincoln scholars gather to debate the assassination. Yet the primary source documents from four independent archives point to a conclusion the Forum has never fully confronted.
Order the Book NowWhat Is the Lincoln Forum?
The Lincoln Forum is the premier organization for Lincoln scholarship in the United States. Founded in 1990, it hosts an annual symposium in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, drawing historians, authors, and researchers from around the world. Its members include Pulitzer Prize winners, university professors, and leading authorities on the Civil War era. The Forum publishes a bulletin, awards prizes for Lincoln scholarship, and serves as the intellectual hub for serious study of Abraham Lincoln's life, presidency, and assassination.
The Question Lincoln Scholarship Has Never Fully Answered
For 160 years, the accepted narrative has held that John Wilkes Booth fired the fatal shot at Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865. Lincoln Forum symposia have examined every angle of the assassination — the conspirators, the trial, the cover-up theories. Yet the primary source documents from the U.S. National Archives, Canadian government records, British historical documents, and Papal Zouaves records tell a different story. Author and researcher Paul Mellen spent years cross-referencing these four independent archives and found evidence pointing to a different shooter: John Surratt.
The Four Archives Behind the Investigation
U.S. National Archives
Military tribunal records, War Department dispatches, and eyewitness depositions from 1865 contain details that contradict the official account of Booth as the sole shooter. Mellen's analysis of these documents reveals inconsistencies that Lincoln Forum scholars have not publicly addressed.
Canadian Government Records
John Surratt fled to Canada after the assassination. Canadian government records document his movements, contacts, and the network that sheltered him — providing a timeline that places him closer to Ford's Theatre than previously acknowledged.
British Historical Documents
British Foreign Office records and diplomatic correspondence from 1865 contain references to the Lincoln assassination and the individuals involved that have been largely overlooked by American Lincoln scholars, including those affiliated with the Lincoln Forum.
Papal Zouaves Records
After fleeing North America, John Surratt joined the Papal Zouaves in Rome. Vatican-adjacent military records document his service and the circumstances of his eventual capture — records that shed new light on his role in the assassination conspiracy.
The Key Figures
John Surratt
Primary Subject
Confederate spy and son of Mary Surratt. The archival evidence examined by Paul Mellen suggests Surratt's role in the assassination was far greater than Lincoln Forum scholarship has acknowledged. He escaped to Canada, then Europe, and served in the Papal Zouaves before being captured.
John Wilkes Booth
The Accepted Narrative
The actor and Confederate sympathizer has been identified as Lincoln's assassin for 160 years. Paul Mellen's research does not exonerate Booth from the conspiracy — but questions whether he was the one who fired the fatal shot inside Ford's Theatre.
Mary Surratt
Convicted Conspirator
The first woman executed by the U.S. federal government, Mary Surratt ran the boarding house where the conspirators met. Her son John's true role — and the full extent of the conspiracy — remains a subject of debate among Lincoln Forum members.
Paul Mellen
Author & Researcher
Paul Mellen spent years researching four independent archives to build the case presented in 'Who Really Shot Abraham Lincoln.' His findings challenge the consensus of Lincoln Forum scholarship and have been featured in a Fox Nation documentary.
“The primary source documents from four independent archives tell a different story than the one Lincoln scholars have accepted for 160 years.”Read the Full Investigation
Frequently Asked Questions
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John Surratt: The Real Shooter
The Confederate spy whose role in the assassination has been overlooked for 160 years.
Read more →The Vatican Connection
How Surratt's flight to Rome and service in the Papal Zouaves ties into the conspiracy.
Read more →Order the Book
Get the full archival investigation in Paul Mellen's book — available now.
Order now →Read the Full Archival Investigation
Paul Mellen's book presents the complete case — primary source documents, archival evidence, and a conclusion that challenges 160 years of Lincoln scholarship. Order your copy today.
Order the Book NowGo Beyond the Forum — Read the Primary Sources
Paul Mellen's book draws directly from the National Archives, Canadian records, and British documents. Fully illustrated, as featured on Fox Nation.
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