Analytical Essay: The Madness Of John Brown

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The Madness of John Brown On October 18, 1859, John Brown failed at the attempt of a so-called war against slavery. It took place at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. James Buchanan sent a squad of marines out to Harpers Ferry to take down Brown’s tiny force when he heard about this uprising. After a 6-day trial, Brown ended up being convicted of murder, treason, and conspiracy to incite a slave uprising. He was sentenced to be hung 30 days later. Some people praised the actions of Brown, while others disapproved of what he’d done. Later, Brown accepted his sentence and left the people with the memorable words that basically said he wouldn’t want to die for no other reason than what he was- for slavery. Southerners were definitely not a fan of Brown, and most …show more content…
However, Brown has inspired many since he got captured at Harpers Ferry. Researchers questions Brown’s choice to be so quick to use violence and they believe that he suffered from mental illness. Brown rejected the insanity plea because he knew if he did that the meaning of his life-ending slavery-would be seen as delusional. He knew that the sacrifices that him and his supporters made would be seen as nothing. Brown told his family that his quest to end slavery was a disaster, but he reassured his family to have faith. Some of Brown’s contemporaries already started to question his sanity for even thinking he could end slavery with such a small army. Without a doubt, Brown did everything he could to make it equal between the blacks and whites. Although many people called Brown crazy, his black associates never did. Furthermore, Harpers Ferry wasn’t Brown’s first attack. In 1857, his allies killed many proslavery settlers in “Bleeding Kansas.” Researchers differentiate on whether the killings should be seen as murders or acts of war. African-Americans see John Brown as a model of “self-sacrifice.” Writings that had been found indicated that Brown had a mental illness. The mental state of him

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