Brown's Attack example essay topic

... r ters, knew he meant business and dreamed of him starting a revolution. In 1858, Brown held a convention in Chatham, Canada to adopt a constitution for a black nation in the Virginia mountains (3, 99). From this mountain station, the blacks hoped to start slave revolts and plan attacks on white slave-owners (3, 99). Brown was named commander-in-chief of the army and the final preparations were taken care of (3, 99). New Englanders were certainly onto him, though. "It is bad policy to have a ranger like him (Brown) with money and arms at his disposal, and only accountable to people here", Amos A. Lawrence, a Boston industrialist, said (6,110).

Brown set up his troops at a farm he leased in Maryland near the federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry, Virginia in July 1859 (2, 1). His force consisted of twenty-one free blacks and extreme white abolitionists (2, 1). On October 16, Brown and his men woke early and read scripture before crossing over the Potomac River from Maryland into Virginia and advancing to the arsenal (2, 1). For strategy, Brown gave the following speech to his men.

And now, Gentlemen, let me impress this one thing upon your minds. You all know how dear life is to you and how dear your life is to your friends. And in remembering that, consider that the lives of others are as dear to them as yours are to you. Do not, therefore, take the life of anyone, if you can possibly avoid it; but if it is necessary to take life in order to save your own, then make sure work of it (2, 1). Brown's words of advice were spoken in vain.

He and his troops had to threaten the gatekeeper at a bridge and shoot the railroad depot guard to gain access to the arsenal which held vast quantities of arms and ammunition (3, 99). Brown then sent men off to capture hostages such as slave-owners and Colonel Lewis Washington (3, 99). Brown stole a sword that Frederick the Great of Prussia gave as a gift to George Washington and fastened it on to himself, showing his fearlessness (3,100). When hostage John E. Dangerfield told Brown's men that they talked like "crazy men", they responded by saying, "Not so crazy as you think, as you will soon see". (3,100) Brown told Dangerfield that his purpose was "to free the Negroes of Virginia" and he planned on doing this by noon with fifteen hundred men (3,100). Once the settlers in Harpers Ferry became aware of the situation, they raided Brown and his men with a few shotguns (3,100).

Maryland's citizens came with arms and helped to push the raiders back into the arsenal (3,100). Brown's men were cornered in the arsenal while the community militia fired continuously (3,100). The arsenal walls were think, though, and Brown's men fired back with their Sharps' rifles (3,101). All of this delaying was supposed to buy time for the slaves to join the riot and fight for their freedom (3,101). Brown had made a mistake, though, by not telling the Virginian slaves that October 16 was a planned uprising (3,101). No slaves joined the riot and Brown and his men were on their own (3,101). U.S. Marines, lead by Robert E. Lee, arrived from Washington, D.C. and delayed until morning to send Lieutenant J.E.B. Stuart to coax Brown's men to surrender (3,101).

Brown refused and the marines charged the arsenal door with a battering ram (3,101). The door broke open and the marines filled into the arsenal, killing twelve of Brown's men (two were his sons) (3,102). Five local people and one marine were killed (3,102). Brown did not go into his battle well-prepared. He was not supplied with food and he chose to raid a town where their enemies could trap them by capturing two bridges (3,101). Two rivers met in eastern Harpers Ferry, so the west was the only means of escape and Brown's men did not work fast enough to flee (2, 1).

Brown was also wrong in assuming that slaves would quickly revolt as a result of the least amount of encouragement (3,101). Brown and his men stood waiting at the arsenal which left time for the news of his raid to spread around (3,101). Brown made poor choices in preparation and during his attack on Harpers Ferry. Brown's attack caused many repercussions in the South. Southerners placed the blame on the North for funding and supporting Brown (6,134).

Strict curfews and increased defense measures were enforced in southern towns out of fear (6,134). The North worried that the South would infer that Brown's attack meant the North was turning abolitionist (6,136). The northeastern business society tried to persuade the South that it had no association with the doings of such an "unsupported madman" (6,136). Boston conservatives were horrified by the raid because it put a damper on their good names in politics (6,135). Robert C. Winthrop was warned by Edward Everett that the Harpers Ferry attack would lead the way for the "final catastrophe". (6,136) Originally, Brown's supporters, Howe and Stearns, both denied any knowledge of Brown's plans and fled to Canada (6,136).

Sanborn, another supporter, headed to Canada also, to "try a change of air for his old complaint". (6,136) Smith was admitted to an insane asylum to evade arrest (3,102). When Brown was put on trial, both his opponents and his supporters thought he was crazy (3,102). Some thought a plea of insanity would save him from his death and so his family presented documents claiming insanity ran in the family (3,102). Virginia Governor Henry A. Wise was confident that Brown was an intelligent and brave man and he convicted him of murder, treason against Virginia, and conspiring to incite a slave revolt (3,102). Wendell Phillips, William Bowditch, Thomas Wentworth, Theodore Parker, and others of Brown's original followers stuck to their beliefs and supported Brown until his death (6,136).

Brown wrote a letter to his wife and children before his death, saying the following. I am awaiting the hour of my public murder with great composure of mind and cheerfulness; feeling the strong assurance that in no other possible way could I be used to so much advantage to the cause of G-d and humanity... I have now no doubt but that our seeming disaster will ultimately result in the most glorious success (3,103). Harpers Ferry aided in dividing the North and South into opposing "teams", which could be considered a good deed (3,103). Henry David Thoreau said before Brown's death, "It was [Brown's] doctrine that a man has a perfect right to interfere by force with the slaveholder, in order to rescue the slave. I agree with him".

(3,104) Although Brown's actions were radical, his cause was heroic. His plans to spark slave revolts in both Kansas in Virginia were not well thought-out, but his cause was passionate and justified. Brown can be looked upon as a courageous man who stood up for what he believed was right. He was a martyr until the moment he was hanged. Brown revealed all of his schemes under trial, but would convict no one else (6,134). He was seen as silent, grim, and defiant (6,134).

He was not working to attain power or respect, but to put an end to the violation of human rights. John Brown's actions in Kansas and Virginia render him a hero. To sum up Brown's impact, Thomas Brigham Bishop once said, "John Brown's body lies a-moldering in the grave, his soul goes marching on". (2, 1).