1. U.S. History—Unit 4, Section 4 Part II
Interpreting John Brown

2. Objectives By the end of class today, students will be able to…
Identify the facts surrounding John Brown’s role in Antebellum America
Construct an argument, based in history, regarding how John Brown should be memorialized

3. Review
On a fresh sheet of notebook paper, respond to the following prompts for the next 2 minutes:
What did John Brown believe?
What actions did John Brown take based on his beliefs
Be as specific as possible in your response.
When you have finished—put your pen down and sit quietly so that I know you are done
Share Out!
Who is this John Brown Guy?

4. Setting the Stage The Kansas-Nebraska Act
On January 23, 1854, Stephen Douglas introduced a bill to split the Nebraska Territory into two: Nebraska and Kansas
If passed, it would repeal the Missouri Compromise
Northerners hated the bill, but Douglas was confident that it would be best to give the territories popular sovereignty
Popular sovereignty = residents of the the two states would cast vote to decide if they would enter the Union as a free or slave state
It became law in 1854

6. “Bleeding Kansas” On to Kansas
Consequence of popular sovereignty = the rush was on by both sides to settle Kansas
Resulted in a small scale civil war in Kansas
“Boarder Ruffians”—pro-slavery Missouri residents— crossed the border, voted illegally, and used violence to try and coerce other residents to vote their way
Abolitionists (lead by John Brown), used countermeasures (sometimes violent) to combat the “Boarder Ruffians,” and motivate residents to vote anti-slave

7. Two rival governments had been established in Kansas by late 1855
One backed by proslavery Missourians
One backed by abolitionist groups
They did not recognize the “illegal” government formed by the “Boarder Ruffians” and organized their own government
President Franklin Pierce ( ) and President James Buchanan ( ) both recognized the proslavery government in Kansas
However, Republicans as well as a number of northern Democrats continued to deem it a fraud imposed by Missouri “Border Ruffians”
September 1856, John W. Geary (appointed territorial governor) manages to cool the “border war” with the aid of federal troops
Cools NOT ends…small scale fighting continues into 1861

8. Brown and “Bleeding Kansas”
Late 1855, more than 1,000 “Boarder Ruffians” crossed into Kansas to menace the city of Lawrence
Lawrence was the center of Kansas’s free-state movement and the city where the free-state government was set up
May 1856, more than 800 “Boarder Ruffians” again ride on Lawrence
Claimed they were going to arrest members of the free-state government for treason against the state
Citizens of Lawrence decided not to resist and the city was sacked by the “Boarder Ruffians”
Homes and shops were looted and burned, newspaper offices and printing equipment was smashed, and the Free State Hotel was destroyed by cannons

9. Pottawatomie Creek Massacre
Three days after the Sack of Lawrence, Brown leads a group of 7 men to the pro-slavery town of Pottawatomie Creek seeking revenge
At nightfall, Brown’s group “visited” the homes of several Pottawatomie residents associated with the pro-slavery government
Drug residents from their homes and hacked them to death with short sabers
Murdered 5 victims in total
While “Boarder Ruffians” had decimated Lawrence, they did not murder anyone
Brown’s actions outraged Southerners

10. Trouble in Virginia
John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry, Oct 16-18, 1859
Harpers Ferry (in Virginia) was home to 1 of the nation’s 2 national armories
The Harpers Ferry armory was the newest and most technically advanced of the 2 armories
The Harpers Ferry armory was responsible for producing and housing the majority of the U.S. Army’s weapons and ammunition
Brown planned to lead a of group of 22 highly trained abolitionist insurgents to seize the weapons at the armory and start a mass slave uprising
The weapons would be used to supply slaves and freedom fighters throughout the country

11. The success of the raid depended on 2 factors
First: Brown and his men could capture the weapons and escape the arsenal before word reached Washington, D.C.
Second: Local slaves would rise up against their masters and join the raid
Brown failed to achieve either…
The raiders cut the telegraph lines but allowed a train through Harpers Ferry, after detaining it for five hours. The conductor contacted authorities in Washington when the train reached Baltimore the next day at noon.
No slaves rose up to join the raid and townspeople… began shooting at the raiders.

13. How it Went
Evening of October 16, 1859 John Brown and his supporters left their farmhouse hide-out en route to Harpers Ferry.
Reach the town in the early hours of October 17th
Captured prominent citizens and seized the federal armory and arsenal. 
No slave rise up and join raid, and townspeople fight back
Browns group is held down by the local militia in the late morning of the 17th and take refuge in the arsenal’s engine house.
In the late afternoon of Oct 17th into Oct 18th, US Marines under Colonel Robert E. Lee arrive
They storm the engine house, kill many of the raiders, and capture Brown.
Brown is quickly placed on trial and charged with treason against the state of Virginia, murder, and slave insurrection.
Brown is sentenced to death for his crimes and hanged on December 2, 1859.

14. Maniac, Martyr, or Insane Continued
Work with a partner to read Documents 1-3 and complete the Evaluating Historical Opinions Chart
As you read…
Highlight the Author’s thesis about John Brown
Underline quotes that support the Author’s thesis about Brown

15. Your Ticket Out of Here Homework- Interpreting John Brown Worksheet
Before leaving class today, on the sticky note provided...
“Sum Up” your belief of how John Brown should be memorialized, and why.
Hero?
Terrorist?
Somewhere in-between?