John Brown\'s Raid in Harper\'

John Brown's raid in Harper' Ferry

John Brown was the famous abolitionist who is often mentioned as the man who killed slavery, sparked civil war and seeded civil rights (Reynolds 2005, John Brown, Abolitionist: The Man Who Killed Slavery, Sparked the Civil War, and Seeded Civil Rights). He also led to the secession and the wide divide in between the northerners and southerners. He is one of the most controversial figures of American history. The African-American historians and writers consistently extolled his violent personal warfare against slavery. He was considered as a "good terrorist," one can argue that a terrorist is a terrorist, terrorism can never be good. John Brown was strictly against the Northern pacifist abolitionists too and he had a strong view of a bloody revolution against pro-slavery Southerners (Sinha 2006, 12). John Brown had collected both man and money to execute his aggressive plans to abolish slavery in 1858, yet he was forced to postpone his war (PBS Resource Bank).

What was the Northern and Southern responses to the raid as well as to Brown's execution?

The Southern and Northern fratricidal division was inevitable irrespective of John Brown's terrorist activities. Southern block had declared slavery as a positive good and they were hoping that their slaves and men will remain dutiful and peaceful. Southern wealthy slaveholders were in opposition to the abolitionist's attempts to end slave trade because of the huge investments they had made in the slave market. The northern abolitionists were actively against the slavery yet, their opposition was pacifist and they weren't meant to act violently. John Brown's raid paved way for the violent and murderous action against the slavery supporters. Most of the Northerners were the advocates of peaceful moralistic resistance against the pro-slavery Southerners. John Brown declared the entire pacifist as of little value and claimed: "These men are all talk. What we need is action -- action!" (Rhodes 1892, 385).

In May 1856, Brown and his men captured five pro-slavery Southern leaders and killed them brutally with the broadswords repeated blows. Brown had modern ammunition but he chose to use archaic broadswords for the heinous murders because he considered use of broadswords as better symbol for his hatred and anger against the Southerners (Maryland State Archives 2000).

Southern writers often had explained John Brown as a "New England abolitionist, who was a horse thief, a madman, and a self-serving and dishonest lay-a-about, who used the antislavery cause to disguise his personal and business failures" (Sinha 2006, 14).

John Brown's raid on Harper Lee caused an unstoppable sensation across the nation. The Southern stronghold pushed speedy trial, conviction and execution of John Brown and his cohorts which proved to be a wrong step against the pacifist movement against slavery. After the execution of John Brown the North and South experienced further polarization.

Why was this event a turning point for both sections (North and South)?

John Brown was very famous amongst the wealthy and politically well-connected northern abolitionists. Although most of the Abolitionists were pacifist and were in support of Abraham Lincoln's peaceful pacifist endeavors to throw away slavery, yet they were feeling the futility of the pacifist movement. Because of his political motives, Lincoln was very polite and tried for peaceful moderation between the Southern and Northern blocks during the early stage of his presidency. He supported Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 so that he may abort the secession of North and South. Many of northern abolitionists started feeling that Abraham Lincoln may fail to motivate a true freedom against slavery. Many abolitionists including John Stearns, Garrison and Phillips started organizing John Brown's party instead of an Abraham Lincoln's party (Reynolds 2005, John Brown, Abolitionist: The Man Who Killed Slavery, Sparked the Civil War, and Seeded Civil Rights).

Most of the intellectuals around the world criticized the execution of John Brown. Victor Hugo personally tried to obtain pardon for John Brown and sent letters in London Newspapers and authorities (Encyclopedia 2010). When John Brown was sentenced to death, he handed a note to one of his jailers before he was executed. The note said, "I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood" (Horwitz 2009, A4). Many of the historians will suggest that the John Brown's raid over Harper Lee and his quick execution leaded to the inevitable civil war.

Why would the South turn almost permanently to secession after 1859?

Despite of all the support John Brown gains from the Northern abolitionist writers, his actions were violent, terroristic and heinous. Even Abraham Lincoln who was trying to assuage Southern and Northern parts to solve out the issue of abolishing slavery in a peaceful manner mentioned John Brown as a misguide fanatic (Reynolds 2005, John Brown, Abolitionist: The Man Who Killed Slavery, Sparked the Civil War, and Seeded Civil Rights).

One can compare the violent and brutal raid by John Brown on Harper Lee with the September Eleven attack on Twin Towers in 2001. A terrorist attack, irrespective of the motives behind it cannot be tolerated, it should not be tolerated. The rift between Southern and Northern block increased after the Harper Lee raid and eighteen months after the execution of John Brown, Americans went to war against each other with soldiers marching into battle singing "John Brown's Body." Around or more 600,000 people were killed during the civil war and then only the sin of slavery was purged out of American History. Any sane mind would like to question, was the brutal murders of those 600,000 people necessary? The pacifist, anti-slavery, non-co-operation movement was the right choice. The Violent streak of John Brown against the South was enough to force them to try to protect themselves and secede.

Why would the Union go into the Civil War Singing "John Brown's Body?

John Brown was a popular figure amongst the wealthy Northern abolitionists, furthermore, the black writers and activists also presented him as the fighter for the cause of freedom of the slaves. Furthermore, his righteous indignation against slavery reached to the masses of the nation and that worked as inspiration for the people in general (PBS Resource Bank).