One hundred and fifty years ago today, John Brown led his raid on the federal armory in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. He hoped to strike a blow against slavery. Instead, he created a hostage situation and was hanged for it.
Scholars, including David Blight and Herbert Aptheker, are discussing the many faces of John Brown (abolitionist, religious fanatic, terrorist, civil rights activist) and his many legacies at a conference in Harper’s Ferry.
John Brown’s methods make many people uncomfortable, but he answered the question which many civil rights activists are faced, according to Eric Foner: “”What is one’s moral obligation when faced with an unjust system?”
John Brown en route to the gallows in 1859.