John Brown, wasn’t he that singer that they made a toy of, the one from the 1970s?
No, that was James Brown, the man who defined funk. John Brown was an abolitionist extremist. He was the leader of a raid at Harper’s Ferry in 1859 in an attempt to slaughter slave owners. He had planned to organize a slave rebellion but it never worked out.
What were his motivations behind this raid?
John Brown was a northern abolitionist, he was seeking to get rid of slavery. From his many financial misfortunes he gained a sympathy for the African American slave. He had traveled to Kansas to literally fight against slavery.
When exactly did it happen?
October 1859, but it only lasted until midday when the Marines showed up and put an end to his actions. These Marines were being led by Colonel Robert E. Lee.
How did this affect the views held by the North and South in a pre-Civil War America?
The two groups weren't in the best of relationships, but it might be more accurate to say that John Brown's actions helped to polarize the opinions held by the North and South. This meant that the North viewed the South as of malicious and cruel slave owners. Whereas, the South saw the North as vengeful abolitionists that were ready to spill the blood of southerners in an attempt to gain their wanted changes.
If their views were polarized, how did this promote conflict?
By the North and South becoming more stubborn about their positions on the issues, the rigidness that arose only furthered the existing animosity on the issue from both sides. The South called this "The War of Norhtern Agression" while the majority of the rest of the World calls it the US Civil War.
You said John Brown had met many financial misfortunes, so how did he pull off this raid?
John Brown was no fool, he was being financed by Gerrit Smith, a more affluent northern abolitionist than himself. At the time of his capture he had a check made out to him by Smith totaling to $100.
I've always wondered this, why isn't it called the Revolutionary War II?
The rebels didn't win, so it wasn't much of a revolution. I do agree that civil war isn't a good name though, because after all there is nothing civil about war.
Do you have any general timeline information about John Brown?
Yes, surprisingly enough I do. John Brown was born in 1800, to a strict Calvinist father who hated slavery. When he was 12 he witnessed a man who had been very nice to him beat a slave boy with an iron shovel, and this memory is believed to have haunted John Brown forever. in 1820 he would go on to marry Dianthe Lusk, but she would die in 1833 shortly before her newborn died. At the funeral of Elijah Lovejoy, publisher of an antislavery newspaper, John Brown made an empassioned vow to end slavery. Lovejoy had been killed by a proslavery mob. John Brown was later introduced to some Bostonian anti-slavery activists, and this group became known as the "Secret Six" It needs to be known that before Harper's Ferry there are two documented incident's of Brown's violence against slave holders. 7 victims between the two events. On August 16th, 2 months before the attack on Harper's Ferry, Brown tried to convince Frederick Doulglass to join him.
I bet his trial was very open and shut right?
Brown's trial wasn't as one sided as I would have guessed. It was a week long ordeal, and the verdict was decided after a 45 minute deliberation. Brown was guilty of treason, murder, and inciting a slave insurrection. John Brown was hung one month after the conviction. If the timeline information or the court description wasn't enough, check out this site or this site if you really want to learn more.
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