John Brown
By: Elizabeth Missiaen
Who Was John Brown?
*To the right is a picture of a John Brown portrait*
John Brown's Early LIfe
John Brown-Abolitionist
Brown met with Famous abolitionist Fredrick Douglas in 1847, in Springfield, Massachusetts. Then in 1849, Brown moved and settled into a black community located in North Elba, New York.
1855, John Brown and five of his sons moved to Kansas. At that time, there was argument weather Kansas should be a free or slave state. Brown, who believed in using violence to end slavery became involved in a major conflict. In 1856, he and a few other men killed five "pro-slavery" settlers in Pottawatomie Creek.
*Top right is a picture of John Brown after being captured from the Harpers Ferry Attack*
Harpers Ferry Attack
On October 16, 1859, Brown led 21 men to the federal armory of Harpers Ferry in Virginia. There, he held over a dozen men hostage, with a plan to free slaves, and make them rebel against their owners. Brown and his men held out for about 2 days, until military forces led by Robert E. Lee defeated them. Many of Brown's men were killed even including two of his sons. John Brown was captured and went on trial almost immediately. Then, on November 2 he was sentenced to death.
In a speech in court before his sentencing, Brown claimed his actions were based on what God had told him to do. Several men said that the court should look into John Brown's mental state. However, he was still executed on December 2.
*Below is a picture of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia*
My Reaction
Works Cited
- http://www.biography.com/people/john-brown-9228496#related-video-gallery
- http://www.history.com/topics/john-brown
- http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p1550.html
- US History Book
Pictures:
- http://quest.eb.com/search/john-brown-abolitionist/1/312_1016975/John-Brown-1800--1859-White-American-abolitionist-From-the
- http://quest.eb.com/search/john-brown-abolitionist/1/300_2281469/John-Brown-1800-1859-American-abolitionist.-Brown
- http://quest.eb.com/search/john-brown-abolitionist/1/108_264396/View-of-Harpers-Ferry-West-Viginia-c.1860