John Brown

Definition

John Brown was a radical abolitionist who played a key role in the events leading up to the American Civil War. He was known for his militant and violent opposition to slavery, which he believed could only be eradicated through armed insurrection.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. John Brown's actions were a significant catalyst for the Republican Party's rise to power and the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860.
2. Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry was an attempt to start a slave rebellion, but it was quickly suppressed, and Brown was captured, tried, and executed for treason.
3. The violence in Kansas, known as 'Bleeding Kansas', was exacerbated by Brown's actions and contributed to the growing tensions between the North and South.
4. Brown's militant abolitionism and willingness to use violence alienated many moderate northerners, but also inspired radical abolitionists and helped galvanize the anti-slavery movement.
5. The Republican Party, which opposed the expansion of slavery, gained significant support in the North after the Harpers Ferry raid, helping to pave the way for Lincoln's election in 1860.

Review Questions

• Explain how John Brown's actions influenced the rise of the Republican Party and the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860.
  • John Brown's militant opposition to slavery, including his role in the violence of 'Bleeding Kansas' and the Harpers Ferry raid, helped to galvanize the anti-slavery movement and contributed to the growing tensions between the North and South. This, in turn, aided the rise of the Republican Party, which opposed the expansion of slavery and gained significant support in the North after the Harpers Ferry raid. The Republican Party's opposition to slavery and the election of Abraham Lincoln, who was seen as a moderate on the issue, in 1860 were key events leading up to the Civil War.
• Describe the significance of John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry and how it impacted the political landscape leading up to the Civil War.
  • John Brown's raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in 1859 was a bold attempt to start a slave rebellion and overthrow the institution of slavery. Although the raid was quickly suppressed, and Brown was captured, tried, and executed, it had a significant impact on the political landscape leading up to the Civil War. The raid alienated many moderate northerners, but also inspired radical abolitionists and helped to further polarize the nation on the issue of slavery. It contributed to the growing tensions between the North and South and played a role in the rise of the Republican Party, which opposed the expansion of slavery and went on to win the 1860 presidential election with Abraham Lincoln as their candidate.
• Analyze the ways in which John Brown's actions and the events of 'Bleeding Kansas' were precursors to the American Civil War.
  • John Brown's militant and violent opposition to slavery, including his role in the violence of 'Bleeding Kansas', was a significant precursor to the American Civil War. The confrontations between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers in Kansas, known as 'Bleeding Kansas', were a preview of the larger conflict to come. Brown's actions, such as the Harpers Ferry raid, further exacerbated these tensions and helped to galvanize the anti-slavery movement in the North. This, in turn, contributed to the rise of the Republican Party, which opposed the expansion of slavery and won the 1860 presidential election with Abraham Lincoln as their candidate. The election of Lincoln, who was seen as a threat to the institution of slavery by the South, was a key event that precipitated the outbreak of the Civil War, with the South seceding from the Union in response.

Related terms

Abolitionism: The movement to end the practice of slavery, which gained momentum in the United States in the 19th century.

Bleeding Kansas: A series of violent confrontations in Kansas between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers, which was a precursor to the Civil War.

Raid on Harpers Ferry: An armed attack led by John Brown in 1859 on a federal armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in an attempt to start a slave rebellion.