Have you heard of John Brown, the 19th century abolitionist who committed multiple crimes to “abolish slavery”? The question of whether he’s a hero, or a villain, has been debated ever since his execution. Some people praised him for his “heroism”, while others despised him for his “villainous acts”. While Brown did have his flaws, John Brown was a villain. First, he murdered 3 people who didn’t own any slaves, 2 of whom were children. John Brown Document E. His victims were 43 year old James Doyle, and his 2 sons, Drury and William. John approached the Doyle Home late at night, and began to bang on the front door, to which James Doyle answered. He demanded that the men of the house come outside to the front yard. Scared, Doyle agreed and
Referred to as a “antislavery zealot” by some and as a “heroic hand” by others, John Brown was certainly one who stained history with blood. John Brown’s conduction of anti-slavery raids to fight “fire with fire”, triggered by his radical ways to fight the tyranny that was slavery,Brown impacted the whole country. During this time most anti-slavery supporters were peaceful and only tried to fight slavery “morally”, however John Brown lead many anti slavery raids his most famous and the one which he would have to pay with his life being, the Harpers Ferry Raid. The seizing of federal armory and arsenal with a group of men with just a mere hope of the local slave population helping him in order to reach success and create a nation wide effect failed miserably when the slavery population frightened did not join his raid. Captured, John Brown delivered one of the most enticing and alluring speech during his trial, his last speech, his address to the court in which he admits his actions in his “crusade” to fight slavery as well as patronizingly accepts his punishment without regret or remorse. In his speech he address one objection, being that if he was fighting on behalf of the rich, high class and those who supported and benefited from the tyrant slavery system,he would have been rewarded and praised instead of punished, proving that once again the tyrant, oppresing, racist and discriminating federal government was being run by bias men who aimed to keep the inhuman hierarchy
So John Brown chose the least of two evils. To save the country, he went down to cut off the Virginia cancer. ”(J. Sella Martin) Early in the century Fredrick Douglas had written “I could live for the slave, but he could die for him.” L. Sella Martin says that it was necessary for John Brown's actions to occur so that the country would be saved making what he had been given undeserved and that he only stirred these things up so that the slaves could be free and without the war the slaves would have never been free.
The execution of John Brown brought mixed reactions from all over the country. This North Carolina paper criticizes the commercialization and celebration of John Brown that had been taking place in the north (390.) This reaction highlights the anger from the South at the celebration of this violence and also calls out the hypocrisy for the villainization of the southern states. These northern states who target them for upholding slavery are not only celebrating a violent act, but they’ve done plenty wrong themselves in the past. “It’s a pity they haven’t a witch or two to drown or burn, by way of variety” (390.) The paper remarks that the gallows should be completely be burned or else the capitalist heathens in the north will profit off the
John Brown killed innocent people who didn’t own slaves. Mahala Doyle stated in a letter from document E,”When you and I entered my house at midnight and arrested my husband and two boys and took them out of the yard and in cold blood shot them dead in my hearing, you can’ say you did I to free our slaves as we had none”(Doyle 11). This shows how John Brown is a villain because he killed an innocent woman’s husband and son for no reason. This family had no slaves and were more on the abolitionist side than not.
Have you ever wondered if John Brown was a hero or a villain? John Brown was a horrible person. He killed many innocent people, stole weapons, and committed very serious crimes. This is a serious topic because it lets others educate themselves about how John Brown was an evil person. John Brown was a villain because he committed grave crimes.
John Brown stole weapons from
In 1856, at the age of 55, Brown and his sons moved to Kansas Territory, John Brown accompanied by a small army of his four sons and two other men set out along the Pottawatomie Creek and brutally murdered five men and boys whom they believed were promoting slavery. Later on Brown raided Missouri, where he murdered a slave owner and freed 11 of his slaves.
Did you know that John Brown can be described as either a hero or a villain? John Brown is an abolitionist who is controversial because he can be considered either a hero or a villain, based on the evidence that is given. For example, he killed multiple people, which could make him a villain, but he did it to free slaves, which could make him a hero. This is important because it is very important to know whether John Brown was a hero or a villain and why. John Brown is a villain because he committed multiple crimes, he tried to start a revolution, he was a part of a group of people who killed one white master and took property, and he even arrested someone’s husband and two kids and killed them in cold blood.
Is John Brown A Hero Or A Villain? “I never did intend murder or treason, or the destruction of property, or to excite or incite the slaves to rebellion, or to make insurrection.” (John Brown Document F) is what John Brown said at court while on trial for treason and murder. John Brown was an advocate for the abolishment of slavery.
“John Brown (May 9, 1800 – December 2, 1859) was a radical abolitionist from the United States, who advocated and practiced armed insurrection as a means to abolish slavery for good. He led the Pottawatomie Massacre in 1856 in Bleeding Kansas and made his name in the unsuccessful raid at Harpers Ferry in 1859. He was tried and executed for treason against the
Throughout John Browns life, many events led to him becoming the radical abolitionist that so many knew him as. From a young age, Brown was taught to fear God by his deist, puritan resembling father. Growing up in a time where slavery was rampant, Brown’s father, Owen Brown believed that slavery was a “great sin” (4) and became involved in many abolition movements. Owen Brown’s views and actions shaped young Browns view of slavery completely. During the war of 1812, Brown experienced first-hand
Imagine you are a bystander watching John Brown come to your town and murder innocent people. John Brown is a famous abolitionist. He freed a bunch of slaves, but he did it in a violent way. John Brown should be considered a villain because he killed innocent people and took captives. John Brown was a villain because he killed a lot of people, he lied about his intentions at Harpers Ferry, and he tried to get the slaves to start a revolution.
He led a raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry in 1859, hoping to arm enslaved people and start a revolt. However, the raid failed, and Brown was captured and later executed. Brown's actions were controversial then, but he is remembered as a martyr for the abolitionist cause. Like the story of John Brown, many other people like Martin L. King, Ralph Emerson, and Elizabeth Stanton
John Brown, recalled by some as a martyr for his anti-slavery stance, is also recalled by others as a madman. His legendary raid on Harper’s Ferry will live forever in history books, but what fueled the madness? In 1812, was his mind so deeply traumatized when he witnessed the brutal crime of a young black boy beaten with a shovel that he could never move past it? Did that single event shape his life and play, over and over, in his mind like a never-ending film? No matter what you believe, the undisputed fact is that he was one of America’s first domestic terrorists.
Throughout history John Brown has been described as a terrorist, mentally ill, and a failure among other things. Because he stood strongly for what he believed in, and his goal was eventually achieved he can be seen for the most part as a hero. Brown was described as “an American who gave his life that millions of other Americans be free” (Chowder,6). Brown was a headstrong abolitionist who claimed that he was told by God to end slavery causing him to see himself as “a latter-day Moses” (Chowder, 6). With this, he stopped at nothing to fulfill these expectations. Brown’s heroism is displayed through how he was recounted by others during and after his lifetime, the actions though drastic he took when fighting for what he believed in, and