Final answer:
The assassination of Abraham Lincoln led to national mourning and marked the start of Reconstruction, which would address the aftermath of the Civil War.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question relates to the period following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865. After Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth during a performance at the Ford Theater, a period of mourning and anger permeated the nation. As Lincoln's funeral train traversed the country, millions paid their respects. Federal authorities pursued Booth, ultimately finding him in a barn where he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. In the aftermath, several co-conspirators were tried and executed. This somber time was a pivotal moment in American history, marking the beginning of Reconstruction, an era that promised to reshape the South and address the deep wounds of the Civil War.