Comments on: John Brown: Martyr or Terrorist? http://greathistory.com/john-brown-martyr-or-terrorist.htm The Best Blogging in History Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:53:39 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: nathanaelgreene http://greathistory.com/john-brown-martyr-or-terrorist.htm/comment-page-1#comment-5909 nathanaelgreene Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:03:04 +0000 http://greathistory.com/?p=778#comment-5909 Timely topic on the 150th anniversary of the Harper's Ferry Raid on October 16, 1859. Timely topic on the 150th anniversary of the Harper’s Ferry Raid on October 16, 1859.

]]> By: oldpunster http://greathistory.com/john-brown-martyr-or-terrorist.htm/comment-page-1#comment-5890 oldpunster Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:55:20 +0000 http://greathistory.com/?p=778#comment-5890 A new online exhibit of original documents from the exhibition "John Brown: The Abolitionist and His Legecy," which is on display through March 25, 2010 at the New York Historical Society in New York City. NYHS and the Gilder Lehrman Institute organized the exhibition. The <a href="www.gilderlehrman.org/collection/online/johnbrown" rel="nofollow">online John Brown collection</a> can be viewed at www.gilderlehrman.org/collection/online/johnbrown A new online exhibit of original documents from the exhibition “John Brown: The Abolitionist and His Legecy,” which is on display through March 25, 2010 at the New York Historical Society in New York City.

NYHS and the Gilder Lehrman Institute organized the exhibition.

The online John Brown collection can be viewed at http://www.gilderlehrman.org/collection/online/johnbrown

]]> By: Jennifer http://greathistory.com/john-brown-martyr-or-terrorist.htm/comment-page-1#comment-5746 Jennifer Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:07:32 +0000 http://greathistory.com/?p=778#comment-5746 I believe John Brown was both a martyr and a terrorist. He was a martyr with respect to his personal sacrifice for what he believed was right; however, the method to which he put forth his ideals were that of a terrorist. He still should be celebrated as a hero for his contribution to the fight against slavery. I say this not only because I agree with his ideals, but because I believe you have to take into consideration that American morals as well as methods of communication has changed over time. Our method of communication is much faster then it was back then. We can have something streaming on the internet as quickly as one can upload the video online. If slavery were in effect today (Thank Jesus it isn't), then people could show others the travesty that slavery presented at the time. Can you imagine watching a hidden camera of some one beating their slave on Youtube or 20/20? It’s one thing when someone from Mississippi writes his brother in Ohio where it takes 3 months just to get a letter. I may be exaggerating with the 3 months, but whatever the length of time was back then was not as fast as the internet today, not to mention our 24/7 cable news. I think that John Brown had to do something spectacular in order for his ideals to be heard. People are more likely to pay attention when there is a terrific event that occurs. The soap box of his day just wasn’t enough to get the word out. How are you to convert hearts and mind if you can’t communicate with them in real time or something close to it? Nowadays when something happens to someone or a group of people we gather around and enact a bunch of laws to prevent it from happening again. Especially when there is violence involved. Some examples are the Amber alerts or the differentiation of hate crimes and the punishment of them. Now, the speed of the process may vary from issue to issue, but the system is still there to be exploited by every citizen. Many people like to argue life’s issues and conflicts using one or another argument placing their ideals in a nice clean little box, but the reality of life is messy. Why do we have to look at things as one or the other? Why does it have to be Nature vs. Nurture? Why can’t it be nature AND nurture? Why does God have to left out of Evolution? Why can’t Evolution be the mechanism to which God made humans? Why do we have to pick a label for John Brown? Can’t he be both a terrorist and a martyr? I believe John Brown was both a martyr and a terrorist. He was a martyr with respect to his personal sacrifice for what he believed was right; however, the method to which he put forth his ideals were that of a terrorist. He still should be celebrated as a hero for his contribution to the fight against slavery. I say this not only because I agree with his ideals, but because I believe you have to take into consideration that American morals as well as methods of communication has changed over time.
Our method of communication is much faster then it was back then. We can have something streaming on the internet as quickly as one can upload the video online. If slavery were in effect today (Thank Jesus it isn’t), then people could show others the travesty that slavery presented at the time. Can you imagine watching a hidden camera of some one beating their slave on Youtube or 20/20? It’s one thing when someone from Mississippi writes his brother in Ohio where it takes 3 months just to get a letter. I may be exaggerating with the 3 months, but whatever the length of time was back then was not as fast as the internet today, not to mention our 24/7 cable news.
I think that John Brown had to do something spectacular in order for his ideals to be heard. People are more likely to pay attention when there is a terrific event that occurs. The soap box of his day just wasn’t enough to get the word out. How are you to convert hearts and mind if you can’t communicate with them in real time or something close to it?
Nowadays when something happens to someone or a group of people we gather around and enact a bunch of laws to prevent it from happening again. Especially when there is violence involved. Some examples are the Amber alerts or the differentiation of hate crimes and the punishment of them. Now, the speed of the process may vary from issue to issue, but the system is still there to be exploited by every citizen.
Many people like to argue life’s issues and conflicts using one or another argument placing their ideals in a nice clean little box, but the reality of life is messy. Why do we have to look at things as one or the other? Why does it have to be Nature vs. Nurture? Why can’t it be nature AND nurture? Why does God have to left out of Evolution? Why can’t Evolution be the mechanism to which God made humans? Why do we have to pick a label for John Brown? Can’t he be both a terrorist and a martyr?

]]> By: nathanaelgreene http://greathistory.com/john-brown-martyr-or-terrorist.htm/comment-page-1#comment-5674 nathanaelgreene Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:39:45 +0000 http://greathistory.com/?p=778#comment-5674 John Brown was a martyr. He gets not the credit he deserves for his contribution in helping ending slavery. This book is a great new addition to the historiography of this issue. John Brown, Abolitionist: The Man Who Killed Slavery, Sparked the Civil War, and Seeded Civil Rights by David S. Reynolds For a college class, I wrote the following how John Brown was memorialized soon after his death. "John Brown’s reputation in the white community was one of derision. He is usually regarded as insane and a madman because he advocated the overthrow of slavery by revolution. In the black community Brown was held in high esteem. Frederick Douglass in 1859, said when black people spoke of John Brown: “Voices dropped to a whisper.” Thoreau addressed his fellow citizens of Concord, Massachusetts during the trial of John Brown in October 1859 saying of Brown, “He did not recognize unjust laws, but resisted them as was bid.” I think John Brown is not given the credit nor the respect for what he tried to do; to undo an unjust law. John Brown was a martyr. He gets not the credit he deserves for his contribution in helping ending slavery. This book is a great new addition to the historiography of this issue.

John Brown, Abolitionist: The Man Who Killed Slavery, Sparked the Civil War, and Seeded Civil Rights
by David S. Reynolds

For a college class, I wrote the following how John Brown was memorialized soon after his death.

“John Brown’s reputation in the white community was one of derision. He is usually regarded as insane and a madman because he advocated the overthrow of slavery by revolution. In the black community Brown was held in high esteem. Frederick Douglass in 1859, said when black people spoke of John Brown: “Voices dropped to a whisper.” Thoreau addressed his fellow citizens of Concord, Massachusetts during the trial of John Brown in October 1859 saying of Brown, “He did not recognize unjust laws, but resisted them as was bid.”

I think John Brown is not given the credit nor the respect for what he tried to do; to undo an unjust law.

]]> By: elijahchapman http://greathistory.com/john-brown-martyr-or-terrorist.htm/comment-page-1#comment-5613 elijahchapman Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:22:34 +0000 http://greathistory.com/?p=778#comment-5613 Today we consider those who assisted the underground railroad as heros. I think it would be inconsistent not to allow John Brown the same recognition. Today we consider those who assisted the underground railroad as heros. I think it would be inconsistent not to allow John Brown the same recognition.

]]> By: Great History http://greathistory.com/john-brown-martyr-or-terrorist.htm/comment-page-1#comment-5599 Great History Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:27:14 +0000 http://greathistory.com/?p=778#comment-5599 [...] John Brown: Martyr or Terrorist? What’s your answer? http://greathistory.com/john-brown-martyr-or-terrorist.htm [...]

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