John Brown Abolitionist

879 Words4 Pages

John Brown was an American abolitionist who did not believe in the practice of slavery. He was a white male during the 19th century who fought to end slavery using violent means to accomplish his goal. In contemporary definition, John Brown can be defined as a terrorist because of his distinct method of using violence to resolve an issue. But Brown believed that “Society is sick and cannot be cured by half measures of reform” and this mindset made Brown believe that violence was the only way to abolish the practice of slavery in America. The events that led Brown to be well known was the Pottawatomie Massacre and the raid on Harper’s Ferry. These events were led by John Brown and ultimately resulted in the tragic deaths of many of his abolitionist …show more content…

Brown befriended a slave boy at a residence where he lodged. At this house, he witnessed his friend receiving beatings and being mistreated, as if he was property. He considered this moment in his life the moment that transformed him into a determined abolitionist to eradicate slavery. Brown became a supporter of anti slavery and he was determined to abolish this immoral practice. Brown was a political zealot because he was a fanatic who was pursuing a cause he believed in. He knew that the practice of slavery was morally wrong and Brown wanted to secure racial justice in America. Through events like The Harper’s Ferry raid and Bleeding Kansas, he was able to show action against slavery. He knew that the trading and owning of slaves was corrupt and he wanted to put an end to it. Brown fought for the rights of the blacks and even promoted a school for them. He believed that they deserved equal treatment and they shoud not been bought or sold as property. Furthermore, Brown became a prominent figure of the system of the Underground Railroad, where he took in fugitives and gave them rides to secure their freedom. Every action that he took, Brown kept in mind the objective that he was going to combat slavery He was a political zealot who took action because he was fighting for anti slavery. Brown was fighting for a cause for his country because he knew slavery was corrupt and that is why he was a …show more content…

He became a follower of Christ and accepted him as his savior. Brown “declared his goal of committing the Bible's "entire contents" to memory.” He believed that “God alone was his judge” and he would not fear anything, especially any consequences. This explaining how religion was a factor that contributed to his actions. In November of 1837, a proslavery group murdered the editor of an antislavery newspaper in St. Louis. Brown heard this and became outraged, he “announced, "Here, before God, in the presence of these witnesses, from this time, I consecrate my life to the destruction of slavery!" Ultimately, many events triggered Brown to become an abolitionist but the key factor was religion. He was a religious zealot who was sincere about religion and believed that he had a higher calling to abolish slavery. Brown believed that he had a duty to serve God and in doing so, one of his objectives was to “free the slaves.” He ended up in prison and in his letters to his family, Brown says that he was not afraid of death because he had faith. Brown considered himself an “instrument in the hands of Providence” and God was the reason that he action to abolish slavery. He was a believer of Christ "whose I am; & whom I serve" and believed Christ “will never leave you or forsake you.” And because religion was an essential part of his life, this showed that Brown was indeed a religious zealot. According to

More about John Brown Abolitionist