How and why did Seward survive an assassination attempt?

Answer 1

Hardly "without injury"!! Seward was severely disfigured and in ill health for the rest of his life, after being very fortunate to survive the brutal attack

Keys to his survival?

a) The GUN Lewis Powell (aka Payne) was carrying MALFUNCTIONED. (It actually misfired in Powell's effort to get past Seward's son, Fred, who would not let him pass. .. but the gun was heavy enough for him to strike Fred with it repeatedly, severely injure him and render him unconscious)

b) Seward's injury in a carriage accident nine days earlier may have rescued him. As a result of that accident, Seward (in bed recuperating), was wearing an iron (leather-covered) NECK BRACE. The brace may well have prevented the blows from Powell's bowie knife, which sliced through his cheek, from severing his jugular.

c) In the midst of the attack, Seward fell/rolled onto the floor. Powell, confronted with Private Robinson and Seward's son Gus did not have the opportunity to continue his assault

d) Related again to the injury is the fact that several members of the household were available, watching over him, who may not have been doing so otherwise. This added to the number of (severely!) injured, but impeded Powell's attack.

Thus, ironically, something that one would think would INCREASE Seward's vulnerability to attack were critical to his survival. (On the other hand, since Powell was a powerful young man, it is doubtful Seward could have effectively have fought him off even when in the best of health.)

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If you were asking why Seward was TARGETED for assassination - Booth (who assigned Powell this task) was trying to bring down the whole government and recognized that, after the President and Vice President** the Secretary of State was the most powerful/important position. (Evident in the fact that in the 19th century several former Secretaries of State became President; it was even, at one point, considered THE stepping stone to President)

**Johnson's assigned assailant, George Atzerodt, lost his nerve and got drunk

Answer 2

Because Lewis Powell was an amateur.