Although John Brown did have honorable intentions leading him to organize attacks on the pro-slavery south, the execution of his plans and leadership did not aid his cause. When he led the Pottawatomie Massacre, John Brown left the mutilated corpses of pro-slavery men as an example to dissuade the settlers from permitting slavery in Kansas. This violent act should not be honored. Similarly, John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry was unsuccessful. As the article “The 9/11 of 1859” says, during the raid led by John Brown “the first civilian casualty was a free black railroad worker.” John Brown did not end up making significant strides in abolishing slavery when his plans led to the death of a free black worker. His attacks only heightened the sectional tensions that led to Civil War. Whether or not the Civil War was inevitable, John Brown was a catalyst to this horrible event where casualties were high. The Civil War was not about slavery, but the differences between the north and south. Perhaps there could have been a way other than war to end slavery. John Brown is no hero, but he is not a villain either. He gave his life for an important cause. In the process, he led many extreme missions that ended in unnecessary deaths. He is very commendable for being a central figure in an abolitionist movement, but this fact alone is not enough to deem him a hero by the government.
-- Thank You,
Sallie Walecka
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