“I never intended murder or treason, or the destruction of property[...] or to make insurrection,” were the words of John Brown in 1859 before being sentenced to death. John Brown was a well-known abolitionist hoping to end slavery in the 1800s, using techniques many would deem brutal. However, he also had many allies willing to help him in any way to achieve his goal. There have been many debates on whether the strong-willed man should be considered a hero for trying to end slavery, or a criminal for using violent methods. John Brown was a villain because he was untrustworthy, his supporters disapproved of his actions, and his measures to end slavery were incredibly violent. John Brown’s actions to end slavery were repeatedly violent and sometimes …show more content…
In a letter written to Brown by Mahala Doyle, she states “[...] you then and there entered my house at midnight and arrested my husband and two boys and took them out of the yard and cold blood shot them dead in my hearing, you can’t say you did it to free our slaves, we had none and never expected to own one.” (Mahala Doyle Document E) Many would agree that harming innocent people is inexcusable and would classify you as a villain. In addition, Doyle expresses her opinion further by saying, “[...] I do feel gratified to hear that you were stopped in your fiendish career at Harper’s Ferry, with the loss of your two sons, you can now appreciate my distress[...]” (Mahala Doyle Document E) Near the end of his life, John Brown proved more untrustworthy than previously shown. After being captured in his raid of the arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Brown was found guilty and was to be hanged for treason. During his speech at his trial, Brown claimed “I certainly intended to have done a clean thing of that matter, as I did last winter when I went into Missouri, and there took slaves without the snapping of a gun on either side, moving them through the country, and finally leaving them in