Early American History Paper (John Brown)
Denise Gilbert
History 108
Mr. Marcum
November 20, 2012
John Brown: America's First Terrorist?
By Paul Finkelman
This is an article written (Prologue Magazine Spring 2011, Vol. 43, No. 1) by: Paul Finkelman, in his article he describes the life and actions of John Brown, an anti-slave rights activist. He questions whether John Brown was “America’s First Terrorist” with the use of arguments presented by other historians and authors. John Brown led a few men and his sons on a murderous journey in Kansas and then a group of men to a raid in Harpers Ferry Va. John Brown was an abolitionist, who grew up despising slavery. His father was a supporter of the new abolitionism laws. This idealist was instilled in John Brown and he kept this mindset for the rest of his life. To say John Brown was a terrorist is very questionable. The definition of a terrorist is: somebody who uses violence, especially bombing, kidnapping, and assassination, to intimidate others, often for political purposes. Yes, this could be true for John Brown. He did kill, kidnap, and intimidated those who were pro-slavery, but so was John Wilkes Booth and a group of co-conspirators. John Brown held to the idea that non-free slaves had human rights and he had to be the one who would give them the right to be equal among all men. John Brown will always be famous for his Harpers Ferry Raid, and to some the start of the secession from the Union. So who really is John Brown? Is he a terrorist? I believe he is an anti-slavery activist and perhaps even an extreme abolitionist. I believe that even under the definition of a terrorist, a person who is a terrorist does not care about who he or she hurts or offends. The writer of the article commented on Terry Nichols and Timothy McVeigh as terrorist. They were tried with charges of: 8 counts of first-degree murder, Conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, Use of a weapon of mass destruction, and Destruction with the use of explosives.
History 108
Mr. Marcum
November 20, 2012
John Brown: America's First Terrorist?
By Paul Finkelman
This is an article written (Prologue Magazine Spring 2011, Vol. 43, No. 1) by: Paul Finkelman, in his article he describes the life and actions of John Brown, an anti-slave rights activist. He questions whether John Brown was “America’s First Terrorist” with the use of arguments presented by other historians and authors. John Brown led a few men and his sons on a murderous journey in Kansas and then a group of men to a raid in Harpers Ferry Va. John Brown was an abolitionist, who grew up despising slavery. His father was a supporter of the new abolitionism laws. This idealist was instilled in John Brown and he kept this mindset for the rest of his life. To say John Brown was a terrorist is very questionable. The definition of a terrorist is: somebody who uses violence, especially bombing, kidnapping, and assassination, to intimidate others, often for political purposes. Yes, this could be true for John Brown. He did kill, kidnap, and intimidated those who were pro-slavery, but so was John Wilkes Booth and a group of co-conspirators. John Brown held to the idea that non-free slaves had human rights and he had to be the one who would give them the right to be equal among all men. John Brown will always be famous for his Harpers Ferry Raid, and to some the start of the secession from the Union. So who really is John Brown? Is he a terrorist? I believe he is an anti-slavery activist and perhaps even an extreme abolitionist. I believe that even under the definition of a terrorist, a person who is a terrorist does not care about who he or she hurts or offends. The writer of the article commented on Terry Nichols and Timothy McVeigh as terrorist. They were tried with charges of: 8 counts of first-degree murder, Conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, Use of a weapon of mass destruction, and Destruction with the use of explosives.