Should John Brown be considered a murderer or a martyr?

Essay by Anonymous UserHigh School, 10th gradeB+, March 2007

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Many people question whether John Brown was a ruthless murderer or a martyr trying to make the world to be a better place. Many points can be said for either case but Brown's being a martyr is more predominant. All of his actions at Harpers Ferry and many other events were all done for the just reason of freeing black slaves and having everyman of any color be free the United States.

Brown believed that he had been sent by god to rid the country of slavery. After false information given to him about five anti slave men being killed, he knew that he would have to have revenge on the party that had done that. His revenge was to go to the proslavery settlement of Pottawatomie and to kill five men from that settlement by cutting off their hands and stabbing them. This led to other outbreaks and gave Kansas the nickname "Bleeding Kansas".

John Brown thought that he was evening out the balance with the pro and anti slave speakers. Revenge was his only way that he could do this since no one would take more action than this man would. This was a major leap in the anti slavery way. This also was a reason for the Civil War to start.

Brown's actions in Harpers Ferry, although less violent, was for the same reason which was to free slaves and end slavery forever. John Brown had a different attempt this time to freeing the slaves. He wanted a general uprising of all slaves. He decided that since the slaves were in holding and hated their masters that if he would give them a hand at getting free and uprising that they would. Brown had taken over 60 of the slave honors hostage to give the...