A Brief Background on John Brown

John Brown played a crucial role in our country’s history, Brown was an abolitionist who advocated for armed rebellion as the best and only way to overthrow the institution of slavery. After making a name for himself by shaming the organized abolitionist movement for being too weak and not instilling change, he began to do his own work.

Brown led multiple raids and attacks in the name of abolition including the Harpers Ferry raid which, despite failing, historians agree escalated tensions that then led to the secession of the south a year later. Eventually he was caught by a group of marines led by Robert E. Lee and hung for treason against the Commonwealth of Virginia, 5 accounts of murder and inciting a slave insurrection. (Bordewich, Smithsonian.com)

During his time Brown was a controversial figure, he was an extremist and an outlaw but he fought for what he believed in. Although even those who agreed with his moral arguments could not always stand by his actions, some people considered his tactics and views to be extreme and violent. Despite this he was a hero to many and fought for the equality that resides in our constituion and present beliefs.