Jim Baggett on “John Wilkes Booth in Alabama”

On Sunday, Aug. 12 at 2 p.m., Jim Baggett of the Alabama Historical Association will present a program titled, “John Wilkes Booth in Alabama.” More than four years before murdering President Abraham Lincoln, the actor John Wilkes Booth performed in Montgomery and took part in the city’s debates on secession. This talk explores Booth’s impact on Alabama during his life and after his death.

Baggett is a writer and historian. From 1997 until his retirement in 2023, he served as head of the Department of Archives and Manuscripts at the Birmingham Public Library and Archivist for the City of Birmingham. He has served as president of the Society of Alabama Archivists and president of the Alabama Historical Association.

He has lectured throughout the U.S. and in Europe and has been featured on Alabama Public Television, Alabama Public Radio, National Public Radio, and C-SPAN. He has authored two books on Alabama history, edited three others, and has written dozens of articles. He also writes the “Reading Birmingham” book column for the online news site BirminghamWatch. Baggett lives with his wife and daughter in Birmingham and Mentone.