Bailey Cameron
Becknell
Kansas History 7
April 11, 2023
John Brown: Freedom Fighter or Terrorist?
“Freedom Fighter - a person who takes part in a violent struggle to achieve a political goal, especially in order to overthrow their government.” - according to Oxford Language
Or
“Terrorist - a person who uses UNLAWFUL violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims. - according to Oxford Language
That is the question: Freedom Fighter or Terrorist? If John Brown is a freedom fighter then what about all of the civilians that he killed? They were just people with an opinion — that slavery was right – not saying that their opinion was right, but John Brown didn’t care. If they were involved with slavery
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But John Brown didn’t just help the slaves, he did more. He didn’t just go after the slave owners, he went after pro-slavery civilians that he came across. That took it too far. Some of the things that he did to those slave owners were sick, wretched, and crazy! In the free state of Kansas, he entered 3 cabins, ripped those families out of their homes, interrogated them, and then proceeded to viciously stab them with knives and swords if they didn’t cooperate. John Brown was a very sick man; he did things that I can’t even begin to fathom. But that doesn’t make him a terrorist, right? He did all of these things in the name of something good so they are reconciled, right? NO! They certainly are not; he still has to answer to God for all of the things he did down on earth, and he said that he was a religious man, so in the next paragraph I will tell you more about John Brown's faith and what his wife thought about all of his …show more content…
What father could bring his own sons into a battle and introduce to them all of the sick, wretched, and crazy things that he did? It is possible that the complications from Sickle Cell Trait and not being able to move right made him crazy. No matter what the reason John Brown is a