John Brown 1859

The John brown of 1859

John brown was a white American abolitionist who believed armed insurrection was the only way to overthrow the institution of slavery in the United States. October 16, 1859 john brown led a group of 21 men 16 white and 5 black. Fredrick Douglass declined to offer to join, he believed browns plan would fail.  Browns raid attained initial success. Slashing the telegraph wires to cut off the town from the outside world, the raiders captured the local army, arsenal and rifle manufacturing plant. They then rounded up 60 people as hostages. Unfortunately, the raiders were unsuccessful in their attempt to isolate the town. A B&O railroad train was stopped when it tried to pass through, but allowed to continue its journey to Baltimore. Once it reached its destination, the alarm was raised and federal troops sent to the rescue. In the meantime, the local militia surrounded the town preventing the raiders escape. Realizing his predicament, john brown led his men, along with nine hostages, to the small fire engine house adjacent to the armory.  Federal forces arrived on Monday evening and successfully stormed the stronghold the following day, seriously  wounding brown. He was tried and conviced of treason against the commonwealth of Virginia. Just before his hanging  on December 2, 1859, brown uttered a prophetic forewarning  of the coming civil war. He said “I, john brown, am quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but blood”. John browns raid and subsequent trial inflamed the dispute between the country’s abolitionist and pro slavery factions hardening the lines that separated the north and the south.  John brown was a man of action, in 1847 Fredrick douglass met brown for the first time in springfield, Massachusetts. Fredrick douglass stated john brown “though a white gentleman, john brown is in sympathy of a black man and as deeply interested in our cause, as though his own soul had been pierced with the iron of slavery.