John Brown

John Brown was an overzealous and radical abolitionist who wanted to end slavery in the South. In October 1859, he, along with eighteen of his followers attacked the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry. His goal was to use the guns from the arsenal to arm northern slaves. Then, he wanted the slaves to rise up in revolt, first in the north and then spread it down to the southern states. However the plan proved futile after Army Colonel Robert E. Lee and his troops captured Brown, and killed over half of his followers. Brown accused of treason, was found guilty and then hanged. Even though many Northerners denounced his raid as a criminal act, he was later hailed as a philanthropic hero for wanting to free slaves from their pain and misery. However, Horace Greeley said “his are the errors of a fanatic, not the crimes of a felon.” Also He disagreed with Brown's method, but he did agree with Brown's motives. On December 3rd, 1859 he wrote, "There are fit and unfit modes of combating a great evil; we think Brown at Harpers Ferry pursued the latter.”

This event eventually led to the secession of the southern states from the union. Henry David Thoreau states that even though men were hung in the south for attempting to rescue slaves, northerners were not stirred by it. Southerners also interpreted Brown’s attack at Harpers Ferry as an act of midnight terrorism. John Brown’s raid further deteriorated the relations between the northern and southern states. The Democrats were accused of “bushwhacking” for claiming that the Republicans wanted to end slavery in states which had the greatest slave population after John Brown and Harpers Ferry. Lincoln thought Brown’s raid wasn’t right but Brown had an important cause, He stated Frederick Douglas was honored to meet such a confident and pristine individual as John Brown. James Redpath’s The Public