¶ … John Brown's Harper's Ferry raid on the abolition of slavery. Brown has variously been referred to as a madman, terrorist, and murderer; others have called him a saint, hero, and a martyr. Regardless of one's opinion of Brown the human being, his place in history and his impact on ending slavery cannot be denied. Deranged or no, Brown was a driven man who lived the courage of his convictions.
There can be little doubt that Brown's raid advanced the cause of abolition by escalating the debate over slavery that was already taking place in a polarized nation. Anti-slavery arguments ran the gamut from the political to the economic to the religious. At one time considered a fringe movement, by the mid-1800s abolition had taken center stage in American politics. A number of anti-slavery organizations had existed in America for years, but it was not until the 1840s that such organizations became politicized. The political debate over slavery escalated with the newly acquired territories which had significantly increased following the War with Mexico. These debates escalated to violence on both sides as an undeclared guerilla war erupted in "Bloody Kansas."
John Brown's relentless opposition to slavery culminated in his raid on Harper's Ferry, ultimately setting the stage for the War Between the States. Renowned abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass certainly credited Brown with precipitating the end of slavery. Douglass proclaimed "If John Brown did not end the war that ended slavery, he did at least begin the war that ended slavery." Referring to the Harpers Ferry raid, Douglas argued that "Until this blow was struck, the prospect for freedom was dim, shadowy and uncertain." Like so many, Douglass was dissatisfied with ineffective abolitionist efforts, describing the "irrepressible conflict" as consisting of "words, votes and compromises" (as quoted in Friedheim).
There can be little doubt that Brown's attack was a catalyst in bringing about the ultimate conflict between anti- and pro-slavery forces, the Civil War. The Richmond Enquirer spoke for many Southerners and slavery supporters in an editorial dated October 25, 1859 that proclaimed "The Harper's Ferry invasion has advanced the cause of Disunion more than any other event…since the formation of the Government." The editorial further proclaimed that the raid revived...
Introduction The issue of abolitionism came to a head with John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859. Brown’s intention was to instigate an armed slave rebellion (Horwitz). Brown and nearly two dozen other men took over a U.S. arsenal at Harpers Ferry in Virginia—but instead of achieving the goal of a slave revolt, the men were caught in a stand-off with U.S. Marines from October 16th to the 18th. Robert
The raid itself was an act deemed a form of terrorism, a term not then used but one that has been applied to Brown since. In some ways, the term fits, for he attacked in order to provoke an incident and to create fear in order to generate support for a wider war. Like many terrorists, he had a strong moral conviction and a belief in the rightness of
John Brown: Was he a murderer or a martyr? The actions of John Brown raise many uncomfortable questions about how we view terrorism in modern society. It is often said that 'one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter' and that expression certainly holds true with John Brown in his raid on Harper's Ferry. Even before the Harper's Ferry raid, Brown was a "leader of antislavery guerillas" in Kansas and "fought
Overall, it can be concluded that John Brown was and remains a controversial figure in the history of the United States. His personality has been the subject of debate, as well as his intentions to incite the American people to rebellion against the system. However, probably the most important question his existence raised was over the actual legitimacy of the use of violence in attaining one's goals, no matter their
Many of the historians will suggest that the John Brown's raid over Harper Lee and his quick execution leaded to the inevitable civil war. Why would the South turn almost permanently to secession after 1859? Despite of all the support John Brown gains from the Northern abolitionist writers, his actions were violent, terroristic and heinous. Even Abraham Lincoln who was trying to assuage Southern and Northern parts to solve out the
With Brown's plans found at the location, it had been clear that the rebellion had been premeditated. This meant that Brown had committed a capital offense, making it impossible for him to be charged with murder in second degree. It did not take more than an hour for the jury to find Brown guilty, sentencing him to death by hanging in December 2, 1859. John Brown did not live to
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