Why Did John Brown Become An Abolitionist?
John Brown was born on May 9, 1800, in Torrington, Connecticut, in a Calvinist household. John’s father, Owen, worked as a tanner and zealously thought slavery was wrong, along with the rest of his family. When John was twelve, he was traveling through Michigan and saw an enslaved African-American boy being beaten, which haunted John for the rest of his life. Which led John to becoming an abolitionist, ultimately ending slavery, and that was going to be initiated by raiding Harpers Ferry.
Harpers Ferry was a city in Virginia (now West Virginia), and there was a federal armory there. John Brown had the idea that he could lead an armed slave revolt by taking over Harpers Ferry. There was a major reason on why John Brown raided Harpers Ferry. …show more content…
Frederick Douglass stated, “ Did John Brown draw his sword against slavery and thereby lose his life in vain? And to this I answer ten thousand times, No! No man fails, or can fail who so grandly gives himself and all he has to a righteous cause…. John Brown, began the war that ended American slavery and made this a free Republic.” (EXCERPTS FROM JOHN BROWN: AN ADDRESS FREDERICK DOUGLASS). Paul Finkelman claims that John Brown never acted like a terrorist. “He proved to be a disastrous military leader and a failed “captain” of his brave and idealistic troops. But he never acted like a terrorist. He ordered no killings; he did not wantonly destroy property; and he cared for his hostages. This is simply not how terrorists act.”( EXCERPTS from JOHN BROWN: AMERICA’S FIRST TERRORIST?).
Paul’s statement leads me up to the big question, was John Brown a hero or a terrorist? In my opinion, John Brown was more of a hero. As a young African-American male, without John Brown’s raid there’s a chance that I would not be an American citizen, but American property by a slave owner. Also,with Paul Finkelman’s statement, John Brown didn’t order any killings, want to destroy property, and cared for his hostages, so yeah in my eyes, John Brown is a
Harpers Ferry was a city in Virginia (now West Virginia), and there was a federal armory there. John Brown had the idea that he could lead an armed slave revolt by taking over Harpers Ferry. There was a major reason on why John Brown raided Harpers Ferry. …show more content…
Frederick Douglass stated, “ Did John Brown draw his sword against slavery and thereby lose his life in vain? And to this I answer ten thousand times, No! No man fails, or can fail who so grandly gives himself and all he has to a righteous cause…. John Brown, began the war that ended American slavery and made this a free Republic.” (EXCERPTS FROM JOHN BROWN: AN ADDRESS FREDERICK DOUGLASS). Paul Finkelman claims that John Brown never acted like a terrorist. “He proved to be a disastrous military leader and a failed “captain” of his brave and idealistic troops. But he never acted like a terrorist. He ordered no killings; he did not wantonly destroy property; and he cared for his hostages. This is simply not how terrorists act.”( EXCERPTS from JOHN BROWN: AMERICA’S FIRST TERRORIST?).
Paul’s statement leads me up to the big question, was John Brown a hero or a terrorist? In my opinion, John Brown was more of a hero. As a young African-American male, without John Brown’s raid there’s a chance that I would not be an American citizen, but American property by a slave owner. Also,with Paul Finkelman’s statement, John Brown didn’t order any killings, want to destroy property, and cared for his hostages, so yeah in my eyes, John Brown is a