John brown, who was born inTorrington Connecticut on May 4th 1800, was one of the most notedabolitionists in history. He spent his time going around the world to bringawareness to slavery. The people that did help him with this cause was eitherunaware that it was going against slavery or did not care because he was knownto use violence to achieve his goals.
Duringhis childhood, his father, Owen Brown, was a tanner who changed animal skinsinto leather. John brown was a religious child, he studied in the ministry butdecided to stop his learning and join the family’s businesses trade. In 1820,he married a women named Dianthe Lusk, the couple ended up having about 7 kidsbefore his wife passed away. The following year, 1833, he married a women namedMary Ann Day, during the 21 years of marriage they have had 13 children. Alltogether John Brown had 20 children, but through time only 12 survived. DuringBrown’s childhood, he witnessed an African American who was bullied, thissituation led Brown to declare war against slavery. He felt as if slavery couldonly be stopped if there was a bloody war. In 1859 he decided that the Southshould be token over and free the slaves at gunpoint.
In 1854 the Kansas-Nebraska Act waspassed that stated the people living in either Nebraska or Kansas would havethe decision if slavery was allowed. Brown started to travel through these areasto advise the end of slavery, and gathered money for weapons to achieve thisgoal. Brown believed that anyone who supported slavery or was involved inslavery would not be set free from the guilt of sin, until slavery was gone. Hebelieved that the only way to stop slavery was through war, knowing theconsequences was people getting killed. Brown settled near Osawatomie, Kansasin September of 1856 to lead a raid on proslavery settlement at Pottawatomie,Kansas that ended up 5 men being killed before Browns escape.
After the raid,everyone knew who Brown was and his objective he was going towards, and becauseof the attention he is getting some people either criticized him or supportedhis goal. He continued to collect money for his war against slavery during thesummer of 1856. Very well-known figureswere inspired by his commitment and decided to lend John Brown a helping handwith gathering extra recruits, money, and even weapons for his cause. Brown andhis recruits made their way to Osawatomie in August where they fought settlers,during this standoff his son Frederick was killed. In 1857, Brown started tohead towards east with the intentions of taking over the South; he started toassemble more recruiters from Tabor, Iowa for training. He made gatherings with the easternabolitionists, and then right after in 1858 he sent his son John Jr to go spythe area around Harpers Ferry, where it is the location of heavy federalweaponry. In April of the same year he held a gathering with his recruits inOntario to inform them that he is planning to take over the South, give weaponsto the slaves, and set this state up as a free state under the newconstitution.
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He then led and returned to Kansas, using a whole differentidentity, leading a raid into Missouri, resulting in the death of one man andtaking the slaves in that area back to Canada for freedom. After this successful raid, Brownwas now looked at as a criminal in the eyes of many people in Missouri and eventhe US government. The government put a reward on him, saying if anyonecaptured John Brown is to turn him in for a significant amount of money. Besidesthe tension, parts of the North looked at him as a hero, and many northernersstarted to donate for his cause.
John brown started to go around the East againin 1859 to raise more money, he then rented a farm five miles north of theHarpers Ferry around the month of July, and that is where he started to recruit21 men for the final days of training. His intentions are to snatch the area ofheavy federal weaponry so he can hand out these weapons to the slaves thatsupported him and from then make up a free state for Blacks inside the South. Brown, John. Testimonies of Capt. John Brown, at Harpers Perry, with his address to thecourt ..
American Anti-Slavery Society, 1860. Brown traveled to new england in January 1857 to raise funds and arms forcontinued action in Kansas. He was greeted as a celebrity by some of theregions leading philanthropists, abolitionists and business men. During thefundraising trip, Brown met most of the men who helped finance his plans forthe Harpers Ferry raid and came to be known as the Secret Sex. The night of October 16th1859, Brown left 3 men to guard the farm and sent out with 18 men towardsHarpers Ferry with a ride full of weapons and supplies. He and his recruits gotinto town, where they easily captured an armory that was a storage for weapons.
During this successful seize, Brown saw the midnight train to come through,which sounded the alarm to alert the area of what an apparent war. After thatalarm, a shooting broke out between Browns army and the residents of the area inthe morning of October 17th, 1859. Soldiers started to come in fromCharlestown, Virginia to lend a helping hand with the battle against Brown andhis army. Once nightfall hit, Brown and his army was surrounded in the heavyfederal weaponry storage when 90 plus marines started to arrive fromWashington, D.C.
to join the fight. The standoff lasted all night, until thenext morning the marines, led by General Robert E. Lee, busted in the storage,stabbing Brown with their swords and killing 10 of Brown’s recruits andcapturing 7.
On the other side of the standoff, a marine and 4 other men werekilled, one of those mean was a free slave that was killed by accident. John Brown’s Harpers Ferry Raid.(n.d.). Retrieved December 08, 2017, from https://www.
civilwar.org/learn/collections/john-browns-harpers-ferry-raid”if it isdeemed necessary that I forfeit my life for the furtherance of the ends ofjustice and mingle my blood further with the blood of my children and with theblood of millions in this slave country whose rights are disregarded by wicked,cruel, and unjust enactments-I submit; so let it be done”Brown was imprisoned inCharlestown, Virginia where his trial was held a week later laying wounded on astretcher. During the 6 day trial, Brown made a last statement in front of thecourt saying he is not guilty to what he has done or caused.
He is proud ofwhat he has done for so long, and is ready for what the government wants tohand to him. He was later sentenced of treason against Virginia, conspiracy forthe intentions of freeing slaves, and first degree murder. He was then sent todeath, hanged at the gallows near the Harpers Ferry. Many southerners watchedthe execution, one figure that did watch is a very well-known figure in historythat was found guilty of Abraham Lincoln assassination, John Wilkes Booth.
Brown, J. (1859). Address ofJohn Brown to the Virginia Court, Nov. 2, 1859, on receiving the sentence ofdeath, for his heroic attempt at Harpers Ferry, to give deliverance to thecaptives, and to let the oppressed go free.: (Mr. Brown, upon inquiry whetherhe had anything to say why sentence should not be pronounced upon him, in aclear, distinct voice, replied:) I have, may it please the court, a few wordsto say. ..
Boston: Printed by C.C. Mead, 91 Washington Street, and forsale at the Liberator Office, 21 Cornhill, Boston. Until today, everyone is asking ifJohn Brown is considered a terrorist or a hero? Let’s look back, John Brown wasa person against slavery and he would do anything to get rid of slavery.
In1848, Brown informed Frederick Douglass that he had an idea that if he did notuse violence towards the proslavery supporters they will not give up theirslaves that easy; he knew that violence was the only answer to free theirslaves. John Brown was known as a guy that wanted to get things done in action,he knew if he left it in the governments hand or the peaceful way that Douglasswanted it to be, nothing would not get done. They would favor the South.Slavery to the government was viewed as a great business tool.
A great businesstool is a good economy. He knew it was not morally right to treat another humanbeing the way the slaves were treated. Dubois, who is the co-founder of theNAACP came to an understanding that maybe Brown’s violence against the HarpersFerry was the only source of help for Brown to accomplish what he was dedicatedto. John Brown.
(n.d.). RetrievedDecember 08, 2017, from http://www.historynet.com/john-brown”the violencewhich John Brown led made Kansas a free state tribute to the man who of allAmericans has perhaps come nearest to touching the real souls of black folk (W.B. Dubois)”.
Brown was looked at as a thug to many people, he was looked at as a mentallyill and deranged person. Many asked, what was going on in Brown’s mind thinkinghe can free slaves from the south with only 21 men? Terrorism definition is the use ofviolence and intimidation against civilians in the pursuit against politicalaims. John Brown fought and killed for what is right for the country and humanein general. He went to the South and confederates to try to let the slavesfree.
His mission was to change how people looked at African Americans. He wastheir voice. He was their warrior.
And he was their protector. If you look atthe bombing at Boston, or the 9/11 attack, these attacks were carried out forthe hatred of all civilians in general or like the 9/11 attack, they did notagree how our freedom was set up. John brown was going against a governmentthat was built on violence and slavery which dehumanizes the civilians at thatperiod, most of us will never imagine being in John Browns shoes. His friendswere too busy writing letters to the government for a change, making speeches,or running on a campaign that we see today that can say change change changebut not actually do that change. John Brown saw these actions as them trying todo action when it helped them out on the campaign side, and he made it clear hewas not going to be polite about the change he wants to see because he saw itas it’s not going to get him anywhere. Many people were waiting for change, byJohn Brown was the type of guy not to change, he wanted to get those slaves outof that terrible life that they were living as soon as possible.
