So Abraham Lincoln was not just a great man because he saved the Union. He was also a great man because he saved it for the right reasons. He in fact died because he "wanted to set men free". John Wilkes Booth killed Lincoln because of the President's last public words. Two days after Lee surrendered Lincoln gave a speech to a crowd outside the White House. The speech was a response to questions about the state of Louisiana giving black men the right to vote. Lincoln stated that he approved of the Louisiana measure and believed the "franchise should be given to all negros who had served the nation's cause". Booth was reported to have said "that's the last speech he'll ever give". Three days later Booth made sure his words came true.