Patreon

When this blog first started in March of 2012, it was little more than a shelf where I could show off small research oddities and tidbits of information I came across during my own exploration into the subject of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. I was still very new to the history field and unsure whether this hobby would turn into anything constructive. Since then, the community around this site has grown far beyond what I ever expected. As my followers have grown, I have worked hard to provide new and varied content, all with the aim of educating others about the events surrounding Lincoln’s assassination. I am very proud of what I have accomplished here on LincolnConspirators.com and, particularly, of the growing scholarship behind the posts and videos I have produced.

LincolnConspirators.com is not a commercial entity. I make no money to write or produce content for this site. I do not make any money from advertisements. In fact, I actually pay to keep ads off of this site. This website is a hobby and truly a labor of love for me, but there are real costs associated with owning, maintaining, and producing content for LincolnConspirators. In webhosting fees and research subscriptions alone, I spend $850 a year. This does not include the costs of new (and old) books or research and duplication fees from historic sites and museums. In addition, some of my special projects, especially my recent documentary series about the life of the Lincoln assassination conspirators at Fort Jefferson, have been quite costly to put together.

As many of you know, my background is that of an elementary school teacher. This is why LincolnConspirators.com is, and always will be, an educational resource open to all. Knowledge is power and even our uncomfortable past should be accessible to all. As I told my students when I was teaching, everyone has the capacity to enrich the world around them by sharing their unique knowledge, abilities, and stories with others. Over my career, I taught first, second, and third grades in Illinois and Maryland and worked as a reading interventionist here in Texas. Unfortunately, my teaching career ended when I was fired from the private school I worked at here in Texas because I spoke out against the banning of LGBTQ+ books at our local public library during a library board meeting. Since then, I have become a stay-at-home dad while trying to make some money on the side to help support our family.

To help offset the cost of running this website and to financially support my goal to write a book about the Lincoln assassination, I have launched a Patreon page for LincolnConspirators.com. Patreon is an online system that allows followers to provide financial support for the work being done by their favorite creators. The website operates a bit like TV  infomercials where you pledge to donate a certain amount each month. Patrons choose whatever amount they would like to give, and once a month, Patreon will charge that amount to your credit card and give it to your chosen creator. In essence, Patreon is a subscription service where your chosen monthly payment goes to a specific creator whose work you enjoy.

By becoming a patron of LincolnConspirators.com you will provide financial support for the work that I do. A pledge of any amount would help lift some of the financial burden of creating content for this site and help provide me with some financial breathing room as I actively work on my book. I am not expecting that I will ever be able to break even regarding the costs of my work, but every little bit would make it easier to continue sharing with you all the history that we find fascinating.

“But what’s in it for me?”

The great thing about Patreon is that it is more than just charity. While one-time donations are accepted, the platform allows creators to provide exclusive, patron-only content for those who make a recurring monthly donation. By becoming a patron, you will receive access to content you won’t find anywhere else. This is a way for creators to thank the people financially supporting them and ensure they receive something in return for their support.

Patreon allows for a tiered system of support. Creators can provide more exclusive content based on how much a patron gives monthly. For my Patreon, I have decided to create three tiers of support at different price points. Note that the tiers are cumulative, meaning that if you give at the highest priced tier, you not only receive its unique benefit, but all the benefits from the tiers below it. Here is a breakdown of the different tiers and the benefits patrons receive in each:

Tier 1: Family Circle

For $3 a month, you are a member of the Family Circle level of support. Patrons in the Family Circle will gain access to a weekly post on Patreon called, The Telegraph Office, in which I curate and share recent news stories relating to the Lincoln assassination from the past week and beyond. You’ll be well-informed of different talks, articles, auction items, and other connections being made out in the world to the death of Lincoln and the hunt for John Wilkes Booth. This post will be different each week as I comb through the news to find interesting stories to share and recount some upcoming anniversaries for the week ahead. For a free dispatch example from The Telegraph Office, click here.

Tier 2: Dress Circle

For $7 a month, you are a member of the Dress Circle level of support. In addition to the weekly offering from Telegraph Office, you will receive access to The Vault, a fortnightly post that highlights an artifact relating to the Lincoln assassination story. Objects in the vault are often more than they appear to be, so learn the history behind some of the hidden objects locked away in museums, private collections, or even those lost to time. Every so often, you will find yourself visiting a different kind of vault altogether, as the curator takes you on a field trip to the grave of a person connected to Lincoln’s death. The Vault is open to all for just the price of admission.

Tier 3: Orchestra Chairs

For a recurring donation of $15+ a month, you are a member of the Orchestra Chair level – the top tier of supporters to LincolnConspirators.com. Not only will you receive weekly dispatches from The Telegraph Office and fortnightly tours of The Vault, but you will also gain exclusive access to monthly videos from me, Dave Taylor, as I discuss my ongoing research for my book and other projects. You will receive exclusive early access to information and new historical discoveries well before anyone else. In addition, you can submit your own questions about the Lincoln assassination, which I will answer as a sort of community Q&A. At this tier of support, you will be an invaluable member of my history team.

Now, some of you longtime followers might be thinking this seems a bit familiar. That is because back in 2018, I started a Patreon when this website was still called BoothieBarn. Shortly after starting that Patreon, I was accepted into a Master’s degree program. The combination of my own classes on top of my job as an elementary school teacher significantly curtailed my ability to provide content to my patrons. I started to feel guilty for accepting donations when I just didn’t have the time to provide much in return. So, after only nine months, I shut that Patreon down.

It is now six years later, and I am in a much better position to provide consistent and valuable content to those who choose to support me financially. In these preliminary stages of my book research and writing, I’ve already come across many interesting side characters and stories I would love to share, especially since I don’t know when (or even if) my book will come to fruition. Having some financial support will help me and my family greatly as I devote so much of my time to a book project with so much uncertainty.

Thank you for considering becoming a patron of LincolnConspirators.com. To learn more, please click the “Become a Patron” button below to be taken to my Patreon page to read my story. There you will find information on how the Patreon system works and how to sign up to become a patron.

Even if you don’t have the means to contribute, I appreciate your continued support of my efforts exploring the history of the Lincoln assassination.

Sincerely,

Dave Taylor