On this final day of 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵, a story that I struggle to do justice within the confines of a social media post. It is that of 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻.
𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻, 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝘁, the grandson of a Revolutionary Army vet who ironically died in 1776, John's father hated slavery, his home commonly a safe house on the Underground Railroad.
𝗔𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁, John moved to Pennsylvania to build a safer home for hiding fugitive slaves. He was once asked by local families to help them drive Native Americans out of the area. His response, "I would sooner take my gun and help drive you out of the country."
𝗜𝗻 𝟭𝟴𝟰𝟲, John moved his family to Springfield, Massachusetts. As a member of the Sanford Street Free Church, John attended lectures given by Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth.
𝗜𝗻 𝟭𝟴𝟱𝟱, John moved to Kansas. In response to pro-slavery violence, John organized abolitionists to raid residences, sparking a 3 month period of retaliatory battles known as "Bleeding Kansas". This hailed John as a hero to the abolitionist movement, further solidifying his ultimate plan.
𝗜𝗻 𝟭𝟴𝟱𝟵, heavily influenced by the 1857 Dred Scott ruling that Black's were not citizens, John devised a plan he thought would surely initiate the demise of slavery. Against the will of his friend 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗗𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗹𝗮𝘀, yet with recruiting support from 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗧𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗮𝗻, John initiated a raid on the Harpers Ferry Armory; intent on arming slaves to initiate a larger revolt. John was stopped; Robert E. Lee in command at his capture. Sentenced to public hanging, Confederate General Stonewall Jackson and Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth both attended his execution.
𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, supporters gave John opportunity to escape, but he refused, realizing his death would do more for the cause; which it did. It became the final catalyst to the Civil War.
I stand here at the burned down location of John Brown's childhood home in hopes that one day his heroic story is more broadly represented in the text of our country's history. 🙏🏿
