John Brown was an extreme abolitionist who believed so much in the eradication of slavery, that he resulted to violence and bloodshed in order to achieve his goal. He felt he was "called by God" to end slavery by any means necessary. He failed to achieve his goal in his lifetime, but his actions had a major impact on the North and South before the Civil War. John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry was probably his most effective attack against slavery. This attack on slavery caused tensions to boil over in the North and South, creating a conflict which could only be resolved with war. John Brown killed many people simply because they were from the South or supported slavery. He showed no mercy and killed many people during Bleeding Kansas right in front of their families. Mahala Doyle said in a letter to Brown, ...you then and there 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't say you done it to free slaves.
We had none and never expected to own one (Mahala Doyle, www.pbs.org).
Many people thought that John Brown deserved his
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They were inspired to fight for this cause because of John Brown's actions. During his trial, John Brown chose to die for slavery rather than plead insanity and live. He inspired many people of his cause, and many northerners saw him in a new way. No longer was he just a violent murderer, but a devoted abolitionist with a firm belief that slavery should end. On his hanging day, the South was glad of his death. On the other hand, in the North, Brown became a martyr. Protests broke out in the North on his hanging day. In addition, many writers paid tribute to Brown by writing essays, songs, and poems about him. Many northern businesses were closed to honor him. Many southerners, who hated him, went to watch his