John Brown: Murderer, Martyr and Maniac

In 1856 the United States was place of internal conflict.

The North and South had been divided by one major social standing; slavery. Slavery was very controversial, and one man in the south, John Brown; decided to do something about it. John brown showed many qualities of a man, qualities included; murderer, martyr and a maniac. John Brown was a hunted man. John Brown killed five men in the Pottawatomie killings. This event was referred to as a “massacre” by the Correspondence of the Missouri Republican.

Thirteen prisoners were taken in association with the killings; John Brown however was able to flee the area. John Brown lived amongst the people of Maryland after fleeing Kansas; however he did not give up his murderous ways. Brown commissioned the making of spears that could be easily wielded by untrained men, such as slaves. He intended to use these spears in a gory battle for the freedom of slaves. John Brown eventually ended up leading twenty-one men to storm Harper’s Ferry, most of which were killed. In the cross fire many citizens rebelling against the intrusion were injured and killed as well.

John Brown was a man of passion. He understood the idea of fighting for what is just in the world. He was a martyr for his beliefs and ultimately did end up paying the ultimate price with his life. John Brown understood something that was yet to be seen by the rest of the country; blood would be shed in this battle for equality. Eventually the civil war shed all the blood needed but it did not start without John Brown standing up and doing what is right by force. Though people died in the process he made a statement.

In the insurrection people understood the gravity of the situation; they understood that people believed abolitionism was worth the fight. The North would soon come to realize the same thing all due to John Browns selflessness and martyrdom. It was a death sentence. Only a maniac would dare to do what John Brown would did. It was quite clearly a death sentence.

Very few people in their right mind would murder people just because they did not believe in a free state. It was a radical idea. Even more radical was the fact that he fled, made a new life in disguise and then continued his old ways knowing he was a wanted man. He led the insurrection with a very close minded idea of the way things would play out, he believed that storming the armory the people would give into his demands. Only a maniac would believe the people wouldn’t rebel, and in fact they did.

His plan ended with him hanging in the gallows in a very public display of punishment for rebellion. John Brown was a passionate man, a man with many faults however. His ideas on abolitionism led to erratic behavior. He became a murderer after killing many different people in fits of passion for his cause. This behavior may have been selfless acts but was irrational and ended with his demise.