The Assassination Of John Brown Essay

In 1859 an abolitionist led a raid of 20 men to a federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in order to supply slaves with weapons and provoke a slave rebellion (B). This man was named John Brown. Born to an evangelical Christian family, Brown deeply hated slavery and favored military tactics to abolish it (C). Viewed as a martyr in the North and a murderer in the South, he had a great impact on the abolition movement. People even today continue to debate on how to define him.

The attack at Pottawatomie Creek John Brown and his company of free state volunteers murdered five men along the creek in Kansas. The men that they killed were associated with the pro-slavery Law but they did not slave owners. He is very difficult to talk about in terms of terrorism and freedom fighter because he has done the events of both. The attack at Harper's Ferry was the last attempt to help free slaves, but the United States Marines stopped Brown he tried to initiate a slave rebellion in 1859 by taking over the U.S arsenal.

However, radicalism of any variety is still dangerous. Though he was well-meaning, John Brown’s actions were not only inexcusable, but has the potential to reflect negatively on the abolitionist cause. John Brown was, in simplest terms, a murderer. In is testament (Doc 1), he uses the abolitionist movement to justify the murders of people in slave states. However, he is quick to admit that he “feel(s) no consciousness of guilt” (Doc 1).

John Brown DBQ Response John Brown and other famous abolitionist took part in what is now known as the raid on Harper’s Ferry. Which started as way to inspire slaves to revolt, but ended up with the death of John Brown and a few others. Some people think of John Brown as a crazy murderer. Although others, such as myself, think of him as a “misguided fanatic.” In other words, according to dictionary.com, misguided means misled or mistaken and fanatic means a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm. John Brown was a “misguided fanatic” because he stood up for what he thought was right even if nobody else did.

George Fitzhugh claimed that "The Negro slaves of the South are the happiest the freest people in the world." (Document H). John Brown a major person in the fight to end slavery "led a band of 18 men into Virginia to seize the federal arsenal there, distribute the captured arms to slaves in the area, and create a general slave uprising." (Document I).John Brown was executed and the aftermath of his death made tensions rise betwwen the North and South. "

John Brown does choose a way of violence in a Harpers Ferry authority and the town itself, which is basically an insurrection. In “1854, Brown had been thinking, and talking, about an organized war against slavery in Virginia. His focus, from the beginning, seems to have been on Harpers Ferry, the site of a federal arsenal and armory” (Finkleman 5). He leads 21 men to the Harpers Ferry and made them destroy authorities like houses.

In the United States, during the eighteen-hundreds’, a small group of people believed that slavery was immoral and did many things to abolish it. John Brown, a Caucasian male who was part of this group of people, did two things that many people in United States history didn’t have the passion to do. John Brown’s life was very interesting: His early life and transition to adulthood, his decision to fight for the cause, his actions of violence in Kansas and Harper’s Ferry, along with, the long-lasting effects of these actions led to his hanging. These events were pivotal to the beginning of the Civil War. “John Brown was born in Torrington, Connecticut, on May 9, 1800, five months after the death of George Washington”(Marrin,7).

John Brown was crazy and his plan was a failure. He killed many people therefore “He has been called a cold blooded murderer” (Source 1). The first person he killed was unfortunately a free black man. Source 12 states that, “The first man killed during the raid was Hayward Shepherd, a free black man working with the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. ”

He saw the wrong in owning slaves. He believed what he was doing and what he believed in was right not wrong. He was hung with the pleasure of knowing he made an impact on the world. John Brown tried very hard to do anything to please god and free slaves.

Did you know that some people,including President Abraham Lincoln, believed that John Brown was a “misguided fanatic?” I believe that John Brown was a “misguided fanatic” because of how he committed treason as well as murder while he was trying to put a stop to slavery. For instance,according to, “The Last Meeting Between Frederick Douglass and John Brown”, Douglass believed that John Brown’s plan of invading the Federal arsenal at Harper 's Ferry, Virginia would “ have been fatal to the work of the helping slaves escape.” Another example, as specified by “John Brown’s Speech”, John Brown never prearranged to murder and commit treason, it just went horribly wrong. Since John Brown did commit treason, I believe that John Brown would have done

When they arrived in Lawrence, Kansas they overturned the town, destroyed many printing presses, and burned down the “Governor’s” house. The violence in Kanas began in 1854 and continued thru 1861. When the attack on Lawrence is answered by John Brown and his four sons and few others on the anti-slavery side strike back. They attack several pro slavery settlers at Pottawatomie and

While doing this he helped the lives of many people and animals. Overall looking back on the situation this was all for the best and as long as all of this had a good end that's all that matters it doesn't matter if Cinderella had rude stepsisters and a horrible stepmother because in the end she got her prince and that was all that mattered to her. All that mattered to john brown was slaves to be free. Even if it took a few years and a few lives being spared he finally had a happy ending if only he was alive to see it. And he helped future generations.

"His Speech to the Court at His Trial, 1859" John Brown's raid made the north and the south argue and complain about each other and more than normal. The north didn't seem to care about Brown's actions because he was taking the matter of slavery into his own hands and his beliefs were the same as his. The south was livid! How dare he take their slaves! It was a complete disaster in there eyes; he was helping black slaves get out of the south and up into Canada to be free from their masters.

Looking at what he has fought for, it’s no doubt that he fought for a noble cause which is the freedom of slavery. John Brown shouldn’t be known as hero or terrorists because of want he has done applies to both sides. John Brown shouldn’t be known as a terrorist or a national hero because of his violent attack and raids. After, September 11, 2001 John Brown has been called a terrorist which has caused controversy about Brown’s legacy and reputation. Furthermore, in the article, The 9/11 of 1859 says, “He led 21 men all but two in their 20s, and many of them radicalized by guerilla fighting in Bleeding Kansas, the abolitionists’ Afghanistan”(Horowitz).

There are many arguments in favor of John Brown being a freedom fighter. For example, he saw the wrong in having slaves. He had strong faith and he believed in it very much. John did all of the things he did because he believed that God gave him his duty. He wanted to fight for slave freedom because he believed that slaves should be free and treated as equals.