John Brown and the Harpers Ferry (Part 1 of 3)

John Brown originated from Connecticut and came from a family with strong anti-slavery beliefs. Brown married twice and was the father of a total of twenty kids (John Brown, n.d.) They traveled quite a bit and resided in multiple states. These include Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Ohio, and New York. He was a businessman but had a few failed attempts. He was an abolitionist and contributed by being apart of an organization that helps slaves run and escape to Canada. He did what he could, as he was not a wealthy man.

At the age of 55, Brown decided that he wanted to move to Kansas with his sons. During this time in his life, he did what he could do change the norm, and views of pro-slavery, and strongly put forth his belief on anti-slavery. Although it was not his first offense, Brown had led a small group of men to a creek out in the area and attacked and brutally murdered men and boys who were believed to be an advocate of slavery (John Brown, n.d.). This allowed slaves to be free, and slave owners to be defeated for their actions.

It may be that this tragedy that occurred in Kansas played as the trigger for later events that had an impact on the community, and the slavery viewpoints society had believed in.

The biography and a little of John Brown's background was uncovered. Knowing an individual's background can tell you a lot about a person. If you are unfamiliar with this specific case, please stay tuned for the next post to uncover the main event that took place and the role John Brown played in history.

-Maleka Benjamin

Source:“John Brown.” Civil War Trust, Civil War Trust, www.civilwar.org/learn/biographies/john-brown.