Final answer:
The author views Lincoln's assassination as a 'shocking event that affected the whole country,' causing widespread grief and altering the post-Civil War atmosphere of celebration into one of sorrow.
Step-by-step explanation:
The author's view of President Lincoln's assassination is best described by the sentence: It was a shocking event that affected the whole country. The materials provided describe widespread grief, mourning, and implications for national unity and the continuation of peace following the Civil War.
President Lincoln's death brought immediate martyrdom and spread hysteria across the North, emphasizing the significant impact on the entire nation and disrupting the rejoicings over the Civil War's end. John Wilkes Booth's actions were part of a larger conspiracy with pro-Confederate sympathizers.
Intending to kidnap leaders for prisoner exchange and resist Reconstruction policies. The attack occurred during a time when the nation was hopeful for a peaceful future, which underscores the sudden shock and sadness that the assassination caused.