Holy Horror: A New History of John Brown's Raid (feat. InRangeTV)

In this episode of The Abolitionists, Karl from @InrangeTv joins me on a road trip to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia so we can examine John Brown's 1859 raid from a fresh strategic perspective.

~REFERENCES~

[1] Frederick Douglass. The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (2015 Edition). Zenith Press, Page 238-240

[2] Jonathan Earle. John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry: A Brief History with Documents (2008). Bedford/St. Martin’s, Page 64

[3] Steven Lubet. John Brown’s Spy: The Adventurous Life and Tragic Confession of John E. Cook (2012). Yale University Press, Page 39-59

[4] Jon-Erik M. Gilot & Kevin R. Pawlak. John Brown’s Raid: Harpers Ferry and the Coming of the Civil War, October 16-18 1859 (2023). Savas Beatie, Page 38-43

[5] Charles P. Poland. America’s Good Terrorist: John Brown and the Harpers Ferry Raid (2020). Casemate, Page 32-40

[6] W.E.B. Du Bois. John Brown (1974 Edition). International Publishers, Page 204-207

[7] Douglass, Page 272-279

[8] Du Bois, Page 209-210

[9] Earle, Page 66-69

[10] Osborne P. Anderson. A Voice From Harpers Ferry (1861). Printed for the Author, Page 29-45

[11] Du Bois, Page 232-240

[12] Gilot & Pawlak, Page 74-75

[13] Du Bois, Page 249-251

[14] Earle, 76-84

[15] Earle, Page 122-125

[16] Earle, Page 114-118

[17] Gilot & Pawlak, Page 101

[PakBallandSami]

"zeal in the cause of freedom was infinitely superior to mine. Mine was as the taper light, his was as the burning sun... I could speak for the slave. John Brown could fight for the slave. i could live for the slave. John Brown could die for the slave
--Frederick Douglass

[AnimarchyHistory]

I’m not a religious man. But emotion always flows through me at the words.

“As he died to make men holy. Let us die to make men free, while God is marching on”

[gaslightstudiosrebooted]

Before I watch the video, I’m gonna write this.
Whatever John Brown was, whatever he wasn’t, you have to give the guy at least a bit of credit because he was treated like the lowest form of dirt both by his captors and many of his peers— and he never broke with his commitment to the destruction of slavery. He had that quality that one can respect or admire because he backed up what he said.

[nathanbrady]

Ever notice how in early 1861, the slave holders pulled a complete 180 on whether or not it's perfectly fine to seize a federal armory by force?

[nestcamo]

Henry Beecher was a solid guy. A pastor, he raised funds to purchase and free slaves. He also sent weapons to the abolitionists who fought in 'bleeding Kansas'. He labeled the crates of muskets that he sent to Kansas as "Beechers Bibles".

[lamichiganr]

*No one is perfect, but JB really wanted to get the attention of the slavers and it did work in that way.* *Like Malcolm X said, "If you're not ready to die for it, put the word 'freedom' out of your vocabulary."*

[stevenparks]

I have never been more proud of my family’s history than when I found out a relative of mine (who was an abolitionist minister in Ohio during the antebellum period) donated money to John Brown during Bleeding Kansas in 1856. Brown’s soul truly marches on.

[Matt-vhci]

I John Brown am now quite certain that the CRIMES of this GUILTY LAND will never be purged away but with BLOOD

[clunkerdunker]

What I’ve always wondered is how his soul could continue to march on despite his body moldering in the grave. I sense devilry.

[caseyguccione]

As for your final questions
1: His cause was just. His plan was to take power by force but not shed blood. His closing words before his death were the truest words ever spoken on the subject of abolition.
2. His military goals were an abject failure. Everything in his plan had to go right and almost every step included failure. But as many have noted, the public opinion was heavily swayed by JB writings and comments during his trial. His martyrdom likely was more influential than a successful version of his revolt.

[TemplarOnHigh]

7:12 - Note to tourists - Harper's Ferry is not always this deserted.

[TheEverGrowingRosey-]

🎶 John Brown’s body is molding in the grave
🎶John Brown’s Body is molding in the grave
But his truth is marching oooon!!! 🎶

[Walkingfenix]

That final rendition of John Brown's Body had me tearing up. He wasn't a perfect man, and he was a religious zealot. But in that same vein, he was a crusader for what is right. He gave up everything, his children and his life, to be a martyr for the cause.

I wouldn't hold Douglass in any contempt for his inaction. John Brown as martyr, and Douglass as a living abolitionist mouthpiece is more effective than losing both these men on that fateful day.

[seamussc]

The question of whether John Brown was right was resolved in my own mind by the reason Dangerfield Newby joined John Brown, as I learned right there at the John Brown Museum right there in Harper's Ferry.

Newby was free, but his wife and children were not. He had learned of his wife's enslaver's plan to sell his her "down the river" through her desperate letters, and he had unsuccessfully negotiated to buy her freedom. John Brown may have been radical himself, but how could some one in Newby's shoes not be motivated to kill or die? John Brown's raid was his last chance for her, and Newby did what even the average person of his time would hope they have the courage and conviction to do in his shoes when provided such a rare opportunity.

I'll tell you what, though, the museum left out just how brutal the shot that killed him as it was explained in this video, and that was absolutely horrific to learn that bit of truth.

Thank you for bringing more knowledge to us about the events of the raid, this was well made and I learned quite a bit, even being familiar with the subject matter.

[Yataro]

That little dog is clearly very proud of its human owner.

[Artur_M.]

The news of John Brown's dramatic raid, trail and death reverberated far outside of the US. Contemporary Polish poet, Cyprian Kamil Norwid was inspired by them to write the poem "To Citizen John Brown". I won't post the English translation of the poem here. It's easy to find online and I encourage you to do so.
I just want to mention that the poem invokes Kościuszko.

Yes, this comment is just a poorly hidden excuse to once again humbly suggest making a video about Tadeusz Kościuszko in this series.

[LauseMarkA]

Many, many thanks for this. Remember, too, those who rode with him--Dick Hinton, William A. Phillips, and the Wattles brothers--who carried the struggle into the war.

[boarfaceswinejaw]

Pompey magnus wanted to celebrate recent victories, and he wanted to do so in a manner befitting a roman. he bought elephants and put them into the coliseum to fight gladiators to the accolades of spectators who would associate Pompey's glory with the epic entertainment on display. But the elephants werent trained for combat, and so when the games begun it took a dark turn.

Pliny wrote:
"But Pompey's elephants, when they had lost all hope of escape, tried to gain the compassion of the crowd by indescribable gestures of entreaty, deploring their fate with a sort of wailing, so much to the distress of the public that they forgot the general and his munificence carefully devised for their honor, and bursting into tears rose in a body and invoked curses on the head of Pompey for which he soon afterwards paid the penalty."

The reason i felt the need to bring this up is because it reminds us that people can be conditioned to think and feel a certain way, to construct a society, religion and culture a certain way depending on surrounding and internal factors. However, this has given rise to the idea that people are always products of their time, which is true to an extent, but far too often it becomes an excuse to sweep actions, good or evil, under the rug through the lens of moral relativity. Romans were humans, and thus creatures of both passion and compassion, as humans always tend to be.

John Brown is a reminder that only were there a sizeable portion of people who abhorred slavery to the point of being willing to fight it, but there was also a large number of people who adored slavery and refused to even consider ending it, despite awareness of its evil. This is why neo-confederates despise John Brown, because he serves as a bright burning reminder the people who defended slavery werent just misguided or conditioned, but willfully ignorant and determined to be wicked. the outright admission of this being the number of slave owners who tried to dress up their slavery as benevolent, because they knew it was evil and felt the need to defend their practice.

[macfilms]

As a descendant of a number of men who fought for the Union - including one who marched with Sherman through Georgia, I've always been deeply affected by the last stanza of the Battle Hymn of the Republic (a song descended from the camp song "John Brown's Body")
"In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free"
It was a cause worth fighting (and dying) for.

[BSpinoza]

John Brown was the classical American Anti-hero. Someone who was at the time villified and reviled, but whom history later recognized as being ultimately correct.