Who Is John Brown An Irrational Terrorist

John Brown was an American abolitionist who was very religious. He fought for the freedom of slaves which he believed can only happen by using violence. He was considered a hero in the North and a terrorist in the South. He attacked 5 defenseless men and dismembered their bodies just as you would butcher cattle. On October 16, 1859, he led a rebellion with 21 men – 5 blacks and 16 whites – against Virginia slavery, he attacked the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry but he was hurt and then captured, trailed, and before he was hanged on December 2, 1859 he stated, “… if it be deemed necessary that I should forfeit my life for the furtherance of the ends of justice, and mingle my blood further with the blood of my children, and with the blood of

Or was he a cold blooded terrorist? There are two different points of view on whether John Brown was an irrational terrorist. The first point of view is by James N. Gilbert and he answers yes he was a terrorist. He also states, “John Brown’s actions conform to a modern definition of terrorist behavior in that Brown considered the United States incapable of reforming itself by abolishing slavery, believed that only violence would accomplish that goal, and justified his actions by proclaiming adherence to a higher power” (pg308). Some do not think of John Brown as a terrorist because of the massive evil of slavery at that time, but his actions of killing people based on his beliefs of being chosen by god and killing them in a vicious and heinous way and whether he used slavery as an excuse for his desire to kill for anger or victimized slaves by government violence and owners or for political issues, does not justify the killing. The second point of view is by, Bill Anderson who believes after we take a look at the causes and intentions of why he did it, we come to the conclusion that it is the terrorists selfish need for power and influence. Third point of view, is made by historian John Hubbell and he states, the reason John Brown chose violence was because of his unsettled resentment towards his father and so in a way his choice to free slaves from their vicious owners “… may have been the unconscious resolution of his anger” (pg312). The final

Because of the evil acts and unjust laws that were made against the slaves by the American nation, John Brown is considered a hero. He was against slavery since he was a child, he fought against discrimination and oppression of slavery, he freed many slaves, and he gave them lands even though he was bankrupt. In addition, because of his religion he believed everyone should be loved and cared for. Therefore, the incident of Harpers Ferry in Kansas was because of his idea of universal freedom. He considered slave owners evil and so he came to the solution of killing them for their sin of slavery and offering them no sympathy for they did the same to their slaves. Another point of view, He was a crusader for social equality, which you have to put in mind that laws at that time were uneven. He saw discrimination and inequality, and so he wanted to change that. Although, he did pick brutal uprising over nonviolent rallies which may define him as a terrorist, he still chose to put his life in the line and he broke the law by giving guns to slaves: who were kidnapped from their homes, separated from their families, and forced to work, to fight for their freedom against there