First published 2014
John Brown carries contradictory labels that reflect America's struggle with his legacy. Some call him hero, freedom fighter, and martyr. Others brand him liar, fanatic, and father of American terrorism. His raid on the Harper's Ferry arsenal may have made the Civil War unavoidable. Brown's deep religious convictions convinced him that God had selected him to eliminate the evil of slavery. He embraced killing and dying for a cause that modern Americans universally consider just. Yet he remained a religious extremist who championed righteous violence and committed acts of domestic terrorism without apology. Albert Marrin connects nineteenth century moral conflicts to contemporary debates about violence, faith, and justice. The book examines how Brown's actions forced Americans to confront slavery's brutal reality and their own complicity in perpetuating it.
Genres: biography, history, 20th-century, non-fiction, 19th-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: religious-extremism, righteous-violence
Setting: Harper's Ferry
Period: 19th Century
256 pages · Hardcover · Knopf Books for Young Readers
Content warnings: violence