Blog Post #3

  The reading “ The Revolution of 1860” by James McPherson opened a new idea for me that I didn’t know of before. I’ve gained significant knowledge about John Brown and his role during the Civil War era. John Brown was a white abolitionist who believed that violence is the only way to end slavery. The author, James McPherson, starts the reading by describing what Brown’s position was and why exactly he thought that way. John Brown was a strong believer that we needed action in order to finally put an end to slavery. He knew that there was no other way and he didn’t notice any change happening, so he took the matters into his own hands. The phrase that inspired him the most was, “Without shedding of blood there is no re- mission of sin,”which came from his favorite New Testament Passage. His main goal was to convince everyone that this has all happened because of violent and selfish kidnappers (slave owners), and that enslaved people should use that same strategy to gain their freedom back. Many started to believe him, and had also concluded that slave power had lived by the sword, so it should die by the sword. That is why Brown and his men created an abolitionist group called the “Secret Six”, where everyone considered Brown ideal leaders that would lead the slaves straight to freedom. However, there were some other significant people who did not support Brown on his attack mission. For example, Fredrick Douglass, who was an old friend of Brown’s, refused his proposal of teaming up with Brown because he was sure that Brown was up for a suicidal mission that would only make matters worse. However, Brown proceeded on his mission. During his mission on the Harper’s Ferry, many of his men were captured and killed, including his two sons, and eventually Brown was caught as well. This put an end to Brown’s mission of freeing the slaves. The state of Virginia tried Brown and convicted him of murder and fementing insurecction, which later on resulted in a death sentence by hanging. The news of Brown’s death caused fear for many whites of slave insurrections. But for many others, Brown’s death date was only a celebration of how good of a man he was. Church bells rang, guns fired, and many honored who Brown was, and his purpose in freeing the slaves. John Brown became a hero in many people’s lives, and changed the way majorities thought. On his hang date, he made sure to let everyone know that he is proud for what he is drying for, and that many others should fight as hard as he did.