John Brown
John Brown: Terrorist or Revolutionary? John Brown was a man starkly opposed to slavery. In 1855, John Brown led an unsuccessful raid on Harper 's Ferry in order to arm slaves with weapons Brown and his men seized from the arsenal in order for the slaves to free themselves. Because this was against law of the time, John Brown was tried and executed for treason. Due to his methods, many people labeled him as a terrorist; however, because he worked for a good cause, the abolition of slavery, John Brown can be seen as a Revolutionary who used forceful methods. A definition of terrorism is needed before deciding whether John Brown was a terrorist or not. According to the website Terrorism Research, the definition of a terrorist is a person who commits acts of violence to intimidate or coerce society or the government, especially for political purposes. Terrorism is a psychological tactic, wherein a combatant group attempts to cause a psychological impact and incite intense fear. The United States military definition of terrorism is: “The calculated use of unlawful violence or the threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological” (“Terrorism Research”). Terrorists do not participate in formal war; instead, they attack civilian populations or landmarks. Terrorists believe that they have no option other than violence when they are fighting a government. Peaceful alternatives are either non-existent or ineffective. Many terrorists act the way they do because of a firm belief in their religious values or ideals. John Brown believed he was doing the work of God by abolishing slavery. In the light of the above definition, and John Brown 's actions, he was a terrorist. In 1854, a major act was passed in the House called the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. It created the Nebraska Territory in 1853. The Act evoked a
Bibliography: Brown, J. (1834, November 12). John Brown to his brother Frederick. Retrieved from http://www.wvculture.org/history/jbexhibit/oldsouthbrownletter.html Brown, J. (1859). John Brown’s interview in the Charlestown (or Charles Town) Prison. (1859, October 18). Retrieved from http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/johnbrown/browninterview.html. Terrorism Research. (n.d.) What is terrorism? Retrieved from http://www.terrorism-research.com/. Redpath, J. 1860. The Public Life of Captain John Brown. Retrieved from http://www.libraries.wvu.edu/theses/Attfield/HTML/redpath.html.