Our American Cousin is a witty three-act farce penned by English playwright Tom Taylor in 1858. The story revolves around the hilariously awkward, yet refreshingly honest American, Asa Trenchard, who travels to England to claim his familys estate and meet his aristocratic relatives. While the play enjoyed immense popularity in its early years and captivated audiences throughout the latter part of the 19th century, it is most famously remembered as the performance attended by President Abraham Lincoln at Fords Theatre when he was tragically assassinated by actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865. - Summary by Wikipedia