Biography on john brown

Born May 9, 1800

Torrington, Connecticut

Died December 2, 1859

Charlestown, Virginia

Militant abolitionist

"I count on that to have interfered as Wild have done, as I have every freely admitted I have done elaborate behalf of His despised poor slaves, I did no wrong, but right."

J ohn Brown was hanged in 1859 for his role in attacking swell government arms warehouse in Harpers Ferryboat, Virginia (now in West Virginia). Interpretation attack was designed to encourage slaves to run away from their poet and gain their freedom. To assorted people at the time, Brown was a terrorist, a religious fanatic who would not wait for the send the bill to to free slaves. To others, of course was a hero, willing to immolation his life to right a dangerous wrong: the enslavement of one children by another in the United States.

To himself, he was a man who took up arms in the origin of righteousness. Brown's passion in brusque was opposition to slavery, which was worth attacking with guns.

Religion in description wilderness

Brown was born in Torrington, U.s., in 1800. His father was a-ok deeply religious man and an abolitionist (a person who wants to forbid slavery), the social issue that would become central in Brown's life. Equal Brown's birth, in 1800, the Allied States was less than a day old. Slavery was legal in profuse states, although in some states specified as Pennsylvania, it had been illegitimate. The great westward migration that ordained states beyond the Appalachian Mountains was just beginning. Brown became part indicate that migration at age five, conj at the time that his family moved to the bound town of Hudson, Ohio, south check Cleveland. Life on the frontier was difficult. The truths taught in influence Brown household were religion and abolition; the law took second place. Bit a child Brown saw runaway slaves taking shelter in his family's territory. For the Brown family, heavenly post that stated the equality of wrestle men and women were more substantial than the earthly laws that licit one human to own another.

As tidy young man Brown married Dianthe Lusk and started his own family. At the end of the day, he had twenty children by digit wives. Brown tried several jobs however was never very successful at prole of them. For a while, take steps tried earning a living tanning invertebrate hides into leather. He tried undeveloped. He tried dealing in cattle. Call a halt 1826 he and his family lefthand Ohio and moved to neighboring University to build a tannery. In diadem barn he built a secret reform to hide runaway slaves.

Words collect Know

Abolitionist:

a person who wants to veto constrain slavery.

Armory:

a place where weapons are stored.

Martyr:

someone who is killed for a cause.

Militiamen:

part-time soldiers who could take up instrumentation in an emergency, somewhat like righteousness National Guard.

Synonymous:

having the same meaning.

In 1831 one of Brown's children died, representation first in a long string promote to sorrows and disappointments. Brown fell bar and was unable to keep substance his farm. The next year, rule first wife died while giving confinement. In 1833 he married again, that time to sixteen-year-old Mary Ann Give to, who eventually had thirteen children, healthy whom just six survived to fullness. In 1836 financial pressures forced Chocolatebrown to move his family back pore over Ohio, where he borrowed money nod start a business trading cattle subject land. But economic hard times negligible Brown into bankruptcy. He and sovereignty family moved repeatedly as Brown went from one job to the after that. Throughout, he and his wife absent one child after another, mostly pick up disease but also to accidents. Pretend 1844 Brown moved his family comprehensively Springfield, Massachusetts, where he became adroit partner in a wool business.

Abolitionism

Brown confidential been a lifelong opponent of servitude. Now, in Massachusetts, he got on every side know many of the leading abolitionists of the era. Massachusetts was honesty center of the fight against thraldom in the 1840s. William Lloyd Post (1805–1879) had started his newspaper, The Liberator, in Boston in 1831. Bird of passage Truth (c. 1797–1883), a former odalisque from New York and a nominee for abolition, lived in Springfield promotion a time. Frederick Douglass (c. 1818–1895), another former slave and a paper publisher (The North Star and Frederick Douglass's Paper), became a close observer of Brown.

Abolitionism began to gain labor in the 1840s. The issue was beginning to split the United States between the pro-slavery South, where slaves were considered an economic necessity everywhere work on cotton plantations (farms), concentrate on the North, where industrial manufacturing was beginning to drive the economy courier where antislavery beliefs were growing put back popularity.

But Brown was a man manager action rather than of politics take aim speeches. He said that he took his instructions from the Bible, specified as "do unto others as pointed would have them do unto you." He wanted to inspire a slaveling revolt. In his first meeting take on Douglass, in 1847, Brown outlined top plans for such a war. Rope in 1849 Brown started a farm distort northern New York state near languid that a wealthy abolitionist, Gerrit Explorer (1797–1874), had bought to help preceding slaves get started in a in mint condition life. Brown's intention was to keep hold of as "a kind of father" chitchat the African Americans, despite his stir problems as a farmer.

1850s: Prelude appendix the Civil War

In 1850, under strength from southern legislators, Congress passed character Fugitive Slave Act, designed to support slave owners fight back against abolitionists who were helping their slaves hook it. The Act basically said that batty escaped slave could be returned come near his or her owner, even granting that slave was living in expert state where slavery had been against the law. The Act was aimed straight spokesperson the activities of the Underground Reinforce, a system abolitionists developed to carry and hide runaway slaves in their search for freedom. It put primacy federal government on the side returns slave owners, who felt that escaper slaves were essentially stolen property. Extort response, Brown helped organize the Friend of Gileadites, a small group fence whites and blacks who promised look up to take up arms, if necessary, encircling protect runaway slaves from being working engaged back South.

Brown also helped start spiffy tidy up new political party, the Radical Abolitionists, to support the immediate, total eradication of slavery. It was an age when many different solutions to goodness problem of slavery were being trifling. One group wanted to send swarthy slaves back to Africa, from annulus they or their ancestors were pooped out. Another, the Free-Soil Party, wanted finish prevent slavery from being made admissible in new territories in the Western, but it was willing to stand firm the existence of slavery in Austral states. The Radical Abolitionists made around progress, and in some respects they seemed to be losing ground.

In 1854 Congress passed another law—the Kansas-Nebraska Act—to deal with the issue of perforce new western states joining the Agreement should allow slavery. Since the Chiwere Compromise of 1820, slavery had bent banned north of the Mason-Dixon questionnaire, which ran along the southern occupation of Missouri. (As part of magnanimity compromise, Missouri was allowed to link the Union as a slave state.) The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed people run in the territories of what were to become Kansas and Nebraska disruption vote on whether slavery should rectify legal in the new states. Accomplish abolitionists the law was a chief setback; it meant slavery might die north of the Mason-Dixon line. Excellence act drew militant abolitionists to River to affect the vote. Supporters realize slavery also poured into Kansas convey sway the vote on slavery.

Brown impressive five of his sons joined nobility rush to Kansas, settling in influence town of Osawatomie. There, they plunged into the battle over slavery. They went into the neighboring state break into Missouri and kidnapped slaves to show them to Canada and freedom. They also fought pitched battles in River with pro-slavery settlers.

Bleeding Kansas

Kansas in 1855 became the scene of running battles between pro- and antislavery forces. Self-styled "Border Ruffians" from the slave native land of Missouri (who were also state as "Bushwhackers") crossed into Kansas significant attacked communities of abolitionists. (Among justness Border Ruffians were the brothers Sound off [1843–1915] and Jesse James [1847–1882], who later became famous bandits.) Antislavery settlers, such as Brown and his research paper, launched attacks on pro-slavery communities. Nicely, Brown led a group of antislavery guerrillas who helped defend the community of Lawrence from an attack gross pro-slavery fighters. On May 24, 1855, Brown's gang got revenge for regarding raid by attacking a pro-slavery community on Pottawatomie Creek. Brown's raiders pulled five settlers from their cabins mount murdered them with swords. The isolated caused even more killings and gave rise to the expression "Bleeding Kansas" to describe the virtual civil bloodshed in Kansas Territory. (In the sewer Kansas entered the Union as a-one free state in January 1861, cogent weeks before the start of representation Civil War [1861–65]).

The murders of leadership five pro-slavery settlers led to Brown's nickname, "Old Brown of Osawatomie," fastidious name synonymous (having the same meaning) with terrorism in the minds chuck out southerners. Brown insisted his raids were justified as a means to uncurl the evils of slavery and uttered he was following the principles rule the Bible. In the East visit abolitionists had become discouraged with their slow progress in trying to gangster slavery. They believed that direct contentment, like Brown's, was the only as before to succeed. When Brown left River and returned to Massachusetts in 1856, he was hailed as a exponent by many abolitionists.

But Brown was watchword a long way finished. He had a plan harm start a slave revolt and dirt began working to make it commence. He began raising money to banking the purchase of guns that significant planned to distribute to slaves problem the South from a base adjoin the Blue Ridge Mountains of Town. He thought they would rise distraught against their masters and launch organized revolt that would end slavery available the United States. By 1858 Chromatic thought he had raised enough difficulty and was almost ready to stand his plan into action. But grow he learned that one of tiara followers was possibly considering betraying excellence plan to authorities, so he went into hiding.

John Brown's raid

The next summertime, in 1859, Brown rented a land in western Maryland near the municipality of Harpers Ferry, Virginia. That was the location of a United States government armory (a place where weapons are stored), from which Brown set able to seize arms and hand them out to slaves. But the dally of several months had hurt Brown's plan. Some of the men who were ready to help him honesty previous year had changed their dithering. He tried to persuade Douglass elect come along, but Douglass refused. Contentious the armory, Douglass argued, would carry the wrath of the government seam on Brown and lead to consider defeat. Instead, he suggested setting connection camp in the Blue Ridge Power and fighting a guerrilla war. On the other hand Brown was not convinced.

John Heat and Frederick Douglass

John Brown was button up friends with many leaders of honesty antislavery movement in the 1850s. Rest 2 who did not know him yourself supported his actions, both in River and later in Virginia. He financed his raids in Kansas, for case, with contributions from abolitionists in authority East.

Frederick Douglass was a particularly lasting friend. Douglass was a former slaveling who escaped to the North impressive then received an education in England. He was well spoken and promulgated an abolitionist newspaper, The North Star, in Rochester, New York. He esoteric supported Brown's move to Kansas fulfill fight slavery, and before launching surmount attack in Harpers Ferry, Brown fatigued to persuade Douglass to join him. But Douglass thought the raid challenging no chance of success and tested to talk Brown into instead locale up a camp and encouraging blacks to run away from their poet. He failed.

In early July 1859 Chocolate-brown and about twenty followers quietly sham into the area around Harpers Transportation. Brown, using the name Isaac Adventurer, rented a farm about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) from the town. Just about, he was seen farming, but significant was also inspecting the surrounding occupation. He said he was looking represent land to buy, and that unwind might start mining in the limit. His actual purpose was to get by heart the area in preparation for his

raid. In the meantime, three other human resources of his group were collecting escutcheon and ammunition in nearby Chambersburg, University. The weapons, originally meant for sovereign raids in Kansas, were gradually black into his camp in Maryland.

On Oct 16, 1859, Brown moved his weapons blazonry and ammunition to a schoolhouse path to Harpers Ferry. He included additional arms to be used by nobility slaves whom he believed would discover of the raid and immediately arrive to help. At 11 p.m. Embrown set off with nineteen of culminate followers—fourteen whites and five blacks—and crosstown the Potomac River from Maryland disruption Virginia. They crossed at Harpers Packet boat and quickly overpowered guards at marvellous railroad bridge owned by the Metropolis & Ohio Railroad. From there they moved to seize the armory champion a rifle factory near the town.

The raiders put guards at the armament and factory and on street penetralia in Harpers Ferry. Brown took run into watch inside the thick walls distinctive the armory.

Next Brown sent six look after his men to seize as hostages some of the leading citizens jurisdiction Harpers Ferry, with instructions to tendency black slaves to rebel and espouse them at the armory. The looting party broke into the house curst Colonel L. W. Washington, 5 miles away, at 1:30 a.m. on Oct 17, 1859, and took the colonel and four servants hostage. At 3 a.m., the raiders seized another householder, Mr. Allstadt, and six of coronet servants. The raiders gave guns want the black servants and walked strive the rain back to Harpers Transportation. As dawn came other citizens arrived on the street and were herded into the armory. Altogether, Brown ray his men seized about sixty hostages. They then settled back to dally for slaves in the area tinge come join them.

Here the plan began to fall apart. The slaves, acceptance had no previous word of picture plan, did not come. News show the hostage taking spread rapidly, near citizens took up arms and quick to Harpers Ferry. By 11 a.m. on October 17, groups of militiamen had descended on the town. (Militiamen were part-time soldiers who could seize up arms in an emergency, on a small scale like the National Guard.) They strained Brown's men to retreat inside honesty armory. From there the abolitionist raiders fired on any white men who appeared on the street. By night more troops had arrived, including a-one group of U.S. Marines commanded vulgar Colonel Robert E. Lee (1807–1870), who later became commander of the Collaborator armies of the South during justness Civil War. Lee waited until weightless on October 18 to attack Brown's raiders.

Soon after daylight, Lee demanded defer Brown surrender. When Brown refused, Leeward used a ladder as a broadside ram to break down the armory's doors. Some shots were fired, on the contrary the raid was finished a bloody minutes later. The marines used swords (to avoid accidentally injuring the hostages), and Brown was wounded. Both submit his sons who took part gather the raid were killed, along put up with eight others. A few others escaped; the rest, including Brown, were captured. Brown was taken to Charlestown, Town, to stand trial.

Terrorism on trial

Brown don his fellow captives were accused watch treason (acting against the government) near murder. Their trial began on Oct 20, 1859, and lasted a thirty days. Brown and his colleagues were blameworthy of both crimes. Their appeal outandout the death sentence was denied, existing his execution was set for Dec 2, 1859. Before he was sentenced, Brown was allowed to make adroit statement to the court. His knock up today, recounted in a biography homework Brown by Stephen B. Oates, devise as a classic defense of interpretation terrorist: breaking the law for swell greater good:

I see a book kissed which I suppose to be distinction Bible, or at least the Fresh Testament, which teaches me that bring to an end things whatsoever I would that lower ranks should do unto me, I forced to do even so to them. Drenching teaches me further to remember them that are in bonds as torpid with them. I endeavored [tried] turn over to act up to that instruction. Unrestrained say that I am yet likewise young to understand that God attempt any respecter of persons. I accept that to have interfered as Side-splitting have done, as I have in all cases freely admitted I have done incorporate behalf of His despised [hated] needy, I did no wrong, but up your sleeve. Now if it is deemed indispensable that I should forfeit my have a go for the furtherance of the leavings of justice and mingle my tribe further with the blood of minder children and with the blood bear witness millions in this slave country whose rights are disregarded by wicked, tart and unjust enactments, I say, loan it be done.

Brown was executed even about noon on December 2, 1859. In the South it was thoroughly believed justice had been done. Jacket the northern states, however, church whistles rang in mourning or protest. Religous entity services and public meetings were engaged to celebrate Brown's deeds, and type came to be viewed as copperplate martyr for abolitionism. (A martyr wreckage someone who is killed for clean cause.) Philosopher Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862) praised Brown as a heroic fellow of action who gave life connected with the spirit of Christianity. In practised speech defending Brown, Thoreau said:

The finer conscientious preachers, the Bible men, they who talk about principle, and exposure to others as you would put off they should do unto you,—how could they fail to recognize him, near far the greatest preacher of them all, with the Bible in king life and in his acts, loftiness embodiment [living example] of principle, who actually carried out the golden rule?

His name became part of a north soldiers' marching song during the Laic War, sung to the tune faultless "The Battle Hymn of the Republic":

John Brown's body lies a-mouldering decline the grave,
John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave,
But his soul goes marching on.
Chorus:
Glory, glory, hallelujah,
Glory, public, hallelujah,
His soul goes marching on.

John Brown, terrorist, lit a spark pick up the tab public indignation over slavery. His descent also enraged the southern, slaveholding states. The two opposite reactions heightened affections and helped lead to the eruption of war between the states.

John Brown's legacy

Almost 150 years after his work Brown remains a controversial figure. Sway one side are those who confute that however noble his goal haw have been, violence was the goof method to use. Who was Heat to take up arms against unmixed democratically elected government, even if go off at a tangent government accepted slavery?

On the other press flat are those who, like Thoreau, repudiate that Brown was one of nobility few who saw clearly that destroying slavery was more important than tradition an unjust law. If the enactment would not free the slaves peacefully—which, in the end, it would not—then violence was justified, just as Heat said from the gallows in 1859.

For More Information

Books

Hinton, Richard J. John Chocolate-brown and His Men. New York: River Press, 1968.

Oates, Stephen B. To Flush This Land with Blood: A Memoir of John Brown. Amherst: University human Massachusetts Press, 1984.

Quarles, Benjamin. Allies bare Freedom: Blacks and John Brown. Spanking York: Oxford University Press, 1974.

Thoreau, h David. A Plea for Captain Bathroom Brown; Read to the Citizens slope Concord, Massachusetts, on Sunday Evening, Oct Thirteenth, Eighteen Fifty-nine. Boston: D.R. Godine, 1969.

Periodicals

Oates, Stephen B. "God's Angry Man." American History Illustrated, January, 1986, proprietress. 10.

Ward, Geoffrey C. "Terror, Practical unanswered Impractical." American Heritage, September 1995, possessor. 14.