John Brown has been viewed as a terrorist and a hero. I think he is a freedom fighter and not a terrorist. Terrorist often want to simplify strike back and harm those they oppose. Terrorist often has no demands and no goals other than to terrorize. John Brown captured a number of slave owners, but he didn’t kill or harm any. He just wanted to take them to protect them from harm. John Brown wasn’t a terrorist, he was a freedom fighter. Terrorist often want to simplify strike back and harm those they oppose. John Brown didn’t want to strike back or harm others. He was just trying to do what he thought was the right thing. Terrorist wanted to harm, if he was a terrorist he’d want to harm others. Terrorist often have no demands and no
Through the violent acts that were sparked and initiated by the Sons of Liberty, they were indeed terrorists to the British. For example, the atrocious action of dumping the tea at Boston Harbor is considered “treasonous and punishable by death” due to deliberately disrupting the trade and economy of the British through revolt and violence. In addition, the Stamp Act caused the Sons of Liberty to aggressively revolt against the British nobility, and they continue to “confiscate, burn, and unpack” property, and furthermore, threatening the Royal Governor of New York Cadwallader Colden with violence and even death. Lastly, to emphasize political upheaval and propaganda, the Sons of Liberty promote their terrorism to coerce various individuals
John Brown was very similar to Nat Turner they both believed that they were chosen by god to lead slaves into freedom and if that required a fight then that was what they had to do. John Brown had a goal and that was to abolish slavery throughout the united states. The trouble in Kansas began when the Nebraska Act was signed by President Pierce, this act engaged that people make a determination on whether Kansas territory should be free or slave. In hopes that Kansas would become free of slaves, the opposing side which was named Border Ruffians invaded their territory and forced the pro-slavery election. After John heard about the fear of Kansas becoming a slave state and after also hearing that the Border Ruffians ransacked the town of Lawrence
John Brown's actions were modern day terrorist acts with the Pottawatomie Creek Massacre and raid on Harpers Ferry being unjustified, concluding that John Brown is a terrorist and not a freedom fighter. May 24th and 25th John Brown and others murdered five pro-slavery settlers. 1859 John Brown lead a slave revolt into a United States military arsenal at Harpers Ferry. These actions are attacking innocent people.
Brown's attack on Harper's Ferry affected American culture more than can ever be understood. Tension between the North and South was building in the 1850's. Slavery among many other things was dividing the country into two sections. Brown was executed on December 2, 1859 for his murderous out-lash on society. Was his mind so twisted and demented that he would commit cold-blooded murder? The answer is no. John Brown was a man with a goal and a purpose. When he said that abolition could not be achieved without blood he was right. It is one of histories great ironies; John Brown's struggle preceded the Civil War by only 17 months. Thousands of people were killed in the Civil War, yet John Brown
John Brown was a misguided fanatic. He was admired by many abolitionists for standing up for the rights. However, was seen outrageous in the eyes of many Southerners. He has went far beyond outrageous and carried out a killing spree in order to prove slavery was wrong. He had a plan, however stirred in a lot of problems along with it gained him the name a “misguided fanatic”.
“Every villain is a hero in his own mind,” quoted Tom Hiddleston, an English actor best known for playing Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From this quote it is understood that every person perceives “right” and “wrong” differently and will act according to their perception. People consider a person as either a hero or villain by looking at their actions. John Brown, was a white American abolitionist who believed that armed rebellion was the only way to overthrow slavery in the United States. With the evidence provided with different resources, such as the article John Brown: Villain or Hero? by Steven Mintz, it can be seen that John Brown is a villain.
“Terrorist”, is defined as “a person who uses unlawful violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.” Terrorists who conduct these heinous crimes usually justify their actions due to morals, religious convictions, or political views. John brown was an American abolitionist who believed and advocated that armed insurrection was the only way to overthrow the institution of slavery in the United States, which was a political aim. He considered the United States incapable of reform and he believed violence was the only solution to end slavery. Therefore John Brown was an Irrational Terrorist.
Was John Brown a terrorist or was John Brown a hero? This question has probably not been asked many times but since the question has been aroused, let it be answered.
John Brown and his fellow associates were some of the few regular people that lead to the eventual end of slavery, and without
Thesis: John Brown was a man full of honor and passion when it came to the abolishment of slavery. Not only that, but he was a man who believed that his actions were justified by his beliefs and social standpoint. Even though, he was a strong willed man; capable of standing up for his philosophies on life, he was a man who acted upon his emotions, and killed, interrogated, and terrorized towns and people. Your beliefs and morality do not justify the amount of terror that you cause, and it does not justify the amount of blood you spill; John Brown was a terrorist.
He fought long and hard for what “he believed with certitude was a sin against God.” (Bordewich, 3). Of the many words used to describe Brown, one that would come up occasionally was hero. But “it wasn't until the 1970’s that John Brown the hero re-emerged.” (Chowder, 6). Two studies done by Stephen B. Oates and Richard Owen Boyer came to a conclusion that “Brown was stubborn, monomaniacal, egotistical, self-righteous, and sometimes deceitful; yet he was, at certain times, a great man.”(Chowder,6). Also, “among African- Americans, Brown’s heroism has never been in doubt. (Chowder, 6) Many strong black figures commended Brown’s actions in various ways. “Frederick Douglass praised him in print; W. E. B. Du Bois published a four-hundred word celebration of him in 1909; Malcolm X said he wouldn't mind being with white people if they were like John Brown; Alice Walker, in a poem, even wondered if in an earlier incarnation she herself hadn’t once been John Brown.” (Chowder, 6). Harriet Tubman “thought Brown was the greatest white man who had ever lived.” (Bordewich, 5). He even “began comparing himself to Jesus Christ. And he was not alone.” (Chowder, 5). Though he was described as “crazy” for a large part of his life, the fact that he was remembered by so many in such a positive manner, makes him a hero.
The sons of liberty aren't terrorist because they were taxed without representation. The Boston tea party was not a terrorist attack because the British Parliament tax them without asking them if they could. Not listening to their King is in a terrorist attack because they had the right to disobey him because he went back on his word. The sons of liberty and all other colonists should of had a say in what they were being taxed on. However British Parliament might think otherwise.
Though due to the complicated nature of terrorism, John Brown’s actions at Pottawatomie Creek and Harpers Ferry can more so be justified as an act of a pure freedom fighter. Words like acceptable and forbidden have very obvious differences that would allow you to place something into one or the other. As for a terrorist
He was a person who went to great lengths to show his help, however he was not secretive about it. He wrote a newspaper call the Tocsin of Liberty, in which he not only published the first names of the people he helped to freedom, but also the names of their slave masters. Because of this many slave owners had arrest warrants written for his imprisonment (Able Brown).
When discussing this topic there is a lot of controversy that surrounds what exactly it means to fight for freedom and being considered a terrorist. A freedom fighter is often labeled as someone who fights for their freedom, and often time’s war, and defying those in charge are ways in which freedom fighters go about advancing their agendas. When looking at the events of the past present and predicting future events and trends you can see that especially in the United States of America we fight for what we feel is right. When looking at the differences between freedom fighters and terrorists’ one can look at the motives that are behind the act that is being committed. By definition both freedom fighters and terrorists have the same outcomes which in most case is a