John Brown's significance

[bAcK88]

Re: John Brown's significance

John Brown was a cold blooded terrorist who preyed on unarmed civilians in Kansas before he got the warped idea to ignite a bloody slave insurrection. It has been said the Civil War started in Kansas and Missouri. Seems like trouble just followed him around to Virginia.

There, on 23 May 1856, Brown and his murderous band descended on a settlement of Southerners at Pottawatomie Creek. They carried with them newly sharpened swords —and his fellow terrorists literally hacked to death five innocent men
The first three of his victims, James P. Doyle and his sons, Drury and William, were Catholics from Tennessee who moved to Kansas to get away from slavery. They never had a thing to do with the institution. But because they spoke with a Southern drawl, and possibly because they were Catholic, Brown marched them to a clearing where their heads were split open with the sharpened swords. Drury’s arms were chopped off.
The other victims of Brown’s murderous rampage were Southern settlers Allen Wilkinson, executed while his wife and children stood by in horror, and William Sherman, whose mutilated body was found floating in the creek with his left hand hanging by a strand of skin and his skull split open with "some of the brains" washed away.

Fergus,

Mahala Doyle's (late wife of James Doyle) account of that night:

“I am the widow of the late James P. Doyle…my husband, myself, and children
moved into the Territory of Kansas some time in November, A. D. 1855, and settled on
Mosquito creek…where it empties into Pottawatomie creek…on Saturday, the 24th of
May, A. D. 1856, about 11 o’clock at night, after we had all retired, my husband…myself,
and five children…were all in bed, when we heard some persons come into the yard and
rap at the door…My husband got up and went to the door. Those outside inquired for
Mr. Wilson, and where he lived. My husband told them that he would tell them. Mr.
Doyle, my husband, opened the door, and several came into the house, and said that they
were from the army. My husband was a pro-slavery man. They told my husband that he
and the boys must surrender, they were their prisoners. These men were armed with
pistols and large knives. They first took my husband out of the house, then they took two
of my sons—the two oldest ones, William and Drury…My son John was spared, because I
asked them in tears to spare him. In a short time afterwards, I heard the report of pistols.
I heard two reports, after which I heard moaning, as if a person was dying, then I heard
a wild whoop. They had asked before they went away for our horses. We told them that
the horses were out on the prairie. My husband and two boys, my sons, did not come
back any more. I went out next morning in search of them and found my husband and
William, my son, lying dead in the road near together, about two hundred yards from the
house. My other son I did not see any more until the day he was buried…Fear of myself
and the remaining children induced me to leave the home where we had been living. We
had improved our claim a little. I left all and went to the state of Missouri.”

http://skyways.lib.ks.us/orgs/schs/ritchie/education/resources/Pottawatomie%20Creek%20Massacre-RC.pdf

Kansas at that time was a blood bath, with both sides killing innocents. Hell, Brown lost a son (Frederick I think) in Kansas. If I'm missing something or am wrong, someone please correct me. Anyway Brown's son was walking on a road one day when he was approached by a Pro-slavery man on horseback. The man, a doctor I believe, asked if the man was one of John Brown's sons, Frederick replied that he was, and the doctor drew a Colt revolver and emptied it into him. So one might argue, like Paul Finkelman did at my school a few weeks ago, that John Brown was just preempting the Doyles in order to keep his family safe.

John Brown was MANY things, but a terrorist he was not.

[Old Reb]

Re: John Brown's significance

Saying John Brown was not a terrorist is like saying Timothy McVeigh and Osama Bin Laden were not terrorist. I am certain that many people would agree that they too were freedom fighters and should not be labeled terrorist. So, beauty must lie in the eye of the beholder. Your freedom fighter is my terrorist. My terrorist is your freedom fighter. In what category do we put John Wilkes Booth? Terrorist assassin, or freedom fighter? The wheels spin round and round.

[LWhite64]

Re: John Brown's significance

Jake,
Would it be possible for me to get a copy of your paper? Im very interested in the events leading up to the start of the war, particularly in the Georgetown area.

Lee

[KathyBradford]

Re: John Brown's significance

Jake,

I would love to read your paper, too. May you please consider posting it here so that it could be added to the research section?

[Hank Trent]

Re: John Brown's significance

Saying John Brown was not a terrorist is like saying Timothy McVeigh and Osama Bin Laden were not terrorist. I am certain that many people would agree that they too were freedom fighters and should not be labeled terrorist. So, beauty must lie in the eye of the beholder. Your freedom fighter is my terrorist. My terrorist is your freedom fighter. In what category do we put John Wilkes Booth? Terrorist assasin, or freedom fighter? The wheels spin round and round.

Exactly. John Brown used terror, as much as actual violence, to draw attention to his cause. He certainly wasn't the only one, but he was more successful than others, as shown by the reaction to his actions at the time.

The long-standing Southern fear of a violent slave uprising was something that he successfully tapped into. There was also a history of fear among anti-slavery folks that they'd be attacked or killed by pro-slavery individuals or mobs. Elijah Lovejoy was killed the same decade as Nat Turner rebelled, and Preston Brooks used his cane the same decade as John Brown ordered his pikes. But no single individual seemed to be able to embody and channel that fear, like John Brown did for his cause.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[jake.koch]

Re: John Brown's significance

Lee, Kathy,

I will see if I still have a digital copy, it was on a old computer of mine that crashed, but I might still have it saved in email. Worse case scenario I can make a couple of copies of the paper version I have and mail it to you both. If I can find a digital version I have no problem posting it.

[KathyBradford]

Re: John Brown's significance

Thank you, Jake. I wonder if you knew how interested in your work people would be back when you stayed up late to write it.:)

[rbrewer]

Re: John Brown's significance

Any thoughts on Heyward Shepard?
Free black killed by Browns raiders?
The Shepard monument was covered for a time, but is now open to the public again.
Thanks
Bob Brewer

[jake.koch]

Re: John Brown's significance

Kathy,Lee,

If only my thesis is asked for when I get it finished I will be a very happy person :).

I unfortunately did not find a computer copy of the paper when I got back from school today. It must have been lost with the old computer. If you both want to send me a pm or email with your address I can make a copy and send it. If you think it is worthwhile after that maybe when I get a chance I will retype it and post it. I don't know if my email is on my profile or not. It is zdjk@goldmail.etsu.edu