John Browns Revolt Against Slavery
John Brown's Revolt Against Slavery research paper due and don't know how to start it? How about like this?
On October 16th, 1859, John Brown led a group of over 20 men to seize control of the town of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. A strident abolitionist, Brown intended to raid the town's weapons arsenal and use the resources to support a great slave revolt. Brown's rebel group was composed of free white and black men, former slaves and at least one fugitive.
Brown's revolt was a failure. His plans were thwarted by the combined forces of the local militia and a group of U.S. Marines commanded by Robert E. Lee.
- Lee ordered an attack on October 18th that killed many of Brown's followers.
- Brown and the few survivors were arrested that day. Brown was tried for murder and treason.
- The jury found him guilty and John Brown was executed by hanging on December 2nd, 1859.
John Brown's revolt against slavery is historically notable for several reasons. First, John Brown was the first white man to both advocate and practice organized violence in order to end slavery in the United States. In addition, the revolt precipitated the Civil War by increasing the existing animosity between Northern abolitionists and Southern slaveholders. Many northerners sympathized with Brown's goals even if they did not agree with his means. In the South, however, Brown was reviled as a traitor. Southern slaveholders promoted the development of more organized militias to guard whites against future slave revolts. These militias would eventually be organized to form much of the Confederate army.