Hero or criminal? John Brown was a radical abolitionist who was born on May 9, 1800, in Torrington, Connecticut. He was one of the so-called worst and the greatest abolitionists of his time. Brown believed that violence was the one and only way to bring an end to slavery. He provoked the slaves to revolt against their owners by giving them guns and support. Also in 1859, Brown and his 21 men army seized the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry in the hope of gaining guns and supplies for the slaves. The attack was not a success because he was captured and both of his sons got killed during the fight. After a speedy trial, he was convicted to death, which in this case was not even such a huge surprise according to all the blood that he shed in the…
2) Recaptured by federal troop, but proved to be a political success. Brown used his treason charges to put slavery on trial…
His plan was to assemble fighter to attack on the armory on October 16,1859. The plan was not successful and led him and his ten fighters to death. John Brown told Sanborn directly, he needs “money to purchase rifles, pistols, and cutlasses” (Fuller pg. 46). Sanborn did not know at the time that Brown was a part of Pottawatomie Creek “where Brown and his men hacked five men to death with broadswords” (Fuller 46). Brown had drawn up a constitution for the government to create a new freed South that he read aloud to Sanborn and Smith.…
John Brown is considered a martyr, a traitor, a murderer and a man with a devout religious sense, bent on destroying slavery. He had insanity in his genetics, but even if they lurked in his blood, he was brave and fought for what he believed. An abolitionist in the truest, most powerful, blue blood patriot, in all senses of the phrase.…
John brown has been looked upon by many as a hero, but was he really a hero? Let’s look at the thing’s he’s done for abolition and think to ourselves as we read, “is this really what a ‘hero’ would do?” I’ll go into more detail later through out this of course, but for now, let’s review the gist of what he has “done for abolition.” From the third document, it states that he led only 21 men into the military arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia. That was basically suicide for them. Yes, it was very brave of him, but he should have realized 21 men wouldn’t be enough for how many men that military had. He planned to give the weapons from the arsenal to slaves and start a chain reaction of revolts throughout the Southeast. All I have to ask is really? Did he really think that it would be that easy to take from the arsenal? Not only that, but in document two it also states that in 1856, Brown and six of his followers got revenge for the violence in Lawrence by killing five settlers in the pro-slavery camps along the Pottawatomie Creek. He also fled to Kansas, like a coward, to escape prosecution. This should be enough information for you, but let’s go into further detail.…
On October 16, 1859, John Brown, a radical abolitionist of the North, led a small army of 18 men into the small town of Harpers Ferry, Virginia. He seized the arms and ammunition in the federal arsenal and planned to arm slaves to instigate slave rebellions in the South. He was captured by the militia and Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. Lee’s troops, and was quickly sentenced to death. John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry received polarized comments. While he was hailed as a martyr by Chicago’s Republican press, Democratic newspaper in South Carolina and Illinois condemned him as a criminal. At the same time, the Northern press did not ask for the execration of Brown’s penalty in hopes of preserving the Union, but the South viewed this event as another strong reason for seceding. John Brown’s raid has a profound effect on deepening sectional and partisan divide between North and South.…
John Brown is a terrorist, a person who uses violence in the pursuit of political aims. Such include criminal acts against civilians’ committed with the intent to cause death or injury. He fought against a rightful reason in a terrible way, initiating fear in the people around him. Raiding peaceful town, murdering innocent families and Such He was no freedom fighter, more an outlaw. October 16, 1859, Brown revealed his plan to raid Harper’s Ferry, Virginia, a relatively peaceful area.…
John Brown was an American born abolitionist who actively fought Slavery through the use of violence. His ultimate goal was to overthrow the entire system of Slavery in the south, and he went about doing so through armed attacks, including his infamous raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859. John Brown’s armed attack on Harper’s Ferry caused a major dispute between the nation’s separate slavery movements, and had substantial effects in the social and political ideologies of the American people. His antics ultimately played a key role in the swaying of opinions towards slavery leading into the upcoming presidential election of 1860, and as a result, should be considered America’s first true hero. Despite his poorly thought out, and short lasting raid…
“The crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood (John Brown)”. John Brown used violence and killed many people. Not only that, but the death of two of his sons was not enough to stop him from moving on. Brown was so determined that he believed it was God’s wish that he abolishes slavery. He thought he was made for this job only. John Brown reckoned violence is the solution to achieve his goal and be successful. He led a raid on Harper’s Ferry with several men. The motive behind this was to start up a slave insurrection. But the first man killed during the raid was a black.Though Brown’s intentions were noble, the way he acted upon them were not. Therefore, John Brown is guilty of trespassing, treason, and murder.…
He did so much to help out the slaves in the United States, even thought he was so violent while he was fighting (Williams 81). On December 2, 1859, John Brown was killed by being hung because he was convicted of murder and treason. Abolitionists didn’t deny any part of John Browns history. They thought he was a very courageous…
Brown’s execution increased the resolve of abolitionists. Given the increasing antagonism between North and South, the raid on Harpers Ferry served as a major catalyst for the American Civil War (“John Brown.”). To the South, he was a murderer who wanted to deprive them of their property. The South viewed that the North "has sanctioned and applauded theft, murder, and treason”, originally stated by a Virginia newspaper after the raid (Snowden). The different thoughts on the different sides of the country allowed for a lot of debate and anger to be opened up, that is later revealed once the Civil War…
A life in which an equal was treated like a worthless being is what many called a “standard home”. Unfortunately, Brown and many others were exposed to this atrocious mindset. Despite these influences, John Brown became a warrior in the battle for freedom of African Americans. Brown had been born into the 1800’s on May 9 within Connecticut before the Brown family moved to Ohio. Because of Brown’s religious upbringing, slavery was an unacceptable norm John wished to fight against. As the use of enslaved African Americans expanded, so did John’s hatred for the popular institution of slavery, resulting in him planning attacks with volunteers. He committed himself to creating these attacks and successfully carried out 2 before being captured- the Pottawatomie Creek attack and Harpers Ferry raid. Many could argue why John Brown qualifies for being a terrorist, yet he undoubtedly created a pathway for…
Opposition to slavery issue was a major problem in the seventeenth and eighteenth century in the United States. Most of the opposition came from the religious leaders, especially Christian (Purtian) leaders. Such as Samuel Sewall, John Woolman and Anthony Bezezet published pamphlets that urge people to abolish slavery system. John Brown was also the abolitionist who believed that armed insurrection was the only way to overthrow the institution of slavery system in United States. In 1859, he killed pro-slavery supporters and led raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. However, there is a controversial issue whether John Brown was…
After John brown was executed, he is still one of the most talked about men in American History. John Brown is talked about a lot because of his big raid on Harpers Ferry. Brown’s raid was to go into Harpers Ferry to get the riffles so Brown and his men could free slaves and arm them to help him have a rebellion. Also, John Brown’s actions at Pottawatomie Creek is why he is also talked about. Brown went to Pottawatomie Creek because he didn’t want that state to become a slave state. So Brown went to three cabin with his four sons, and pulled out and…
The differences in moral standing were another cause of the war. In 1859 John Brown led a band of men into Harpers Ferry, Virginia to steal guns and start a slave uprising. Although his plan fell through, and he was caught, tried for treason, and hanged, public reaction was intense on both sides of the issue. Politically, the States were not any more united in their point of views. They each feared each other’s political…