On the night of April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln went to Ford’s Theatre. He and Mrs. Lincoln sat in a special box above the stage. During the play, a man entered the box. He was a famous actor named John Wilkes Booth. Booth was upset over how the Civil War had ended. He blamed Lincoln—and shot him!

Booth leaped onto the stage. On the way down, his boot caught the edge of a flag. He stumbled, breaking his leg. Still, he was able to flee. He jumped on his waiting horse outside.

Many of the artifacts, or objects, from that night have been preserved. They help to link us to our past.

The flag that Booth caught his foot on is one such item. The president and first lady were important guests for Ford’s Theatre. Flags were put up around the presidential box. Four of the flags were the American flags of the day. The fifth flag had a hand‑painted eagle on blue silk. As Booth fell, his boot tore the edge of that flag. The tear remains today.

The flag is kept at the National Park Service’s Museum Resources Center in Maryland. It is one of more than six million artifacts. All have historic meaning. All come from places in and around Washington, D.C.

There are so many artifacts, few can be shown. Some are too fragile. Others, too large. Artifacts that cannot be displayed are stored.