John Brown
By Frederick Douglass
- Release Date: 1895-01-01
- Genre: Biographies & Memoirs
Description
John Brown (May 9, 1800 – December 2, 1859) was a white American abolitionist who believed armed insurrection was the only way to overthrow the institution of slavery in the United States. During the 1856 conflict in Kansas, Brown commanded forces at the Battle of Black Jack and the Battle of Osawatomie. Brown's followers also killed five slavery supporters at Pottawatomie. In 1859, Brown led an unsuccessful raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry that ended with his capture. Brown's trial resulted in his conviction and a sentence of death by hanging. Brown's attempt in 1859 to start a liberation movement among enslaved African Americans in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, electrified the nation. He was tried for treason against the Commonwealth of Virginia, the murder of five men and inciting a slave insurrection. He was found guilty on all counts and was hanged. Southerners alleged that his rebellion was the tip of the abolitionist iceberg and represented the wishes of the Republican Party to end slavery. Historians agree that the Harpers Ferry raid in 1859 escalated tensions that, a year later, led to secession and the American Civil War.
Reviews
Must read.
5By HxB999Very insightful journey through the historic development of our racial relations in America. John Brown exemplified a passion and love for the oppressed and marginalized, enslaved, militarized communities, causing an uprising against government powers. This story told by the honorable Frederick Douglas recounts a very gruesome and painful story about the selflessness and sacrifice of a man whose name should be celebrated today.
