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John Brown - contribution towards ending slavery
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John Brown was a man you lived in the mid eighteen-hundreds and who fought against slavery. John Brown had a very strong belief that slavery was wrong, and this is true, but he thought that in order to abolish slavery, violence would be the best way, that’s where he went wrong because violence cannot be justified unless it is in self-defense, Brown’s attacks were not in self-defense they were acts of revenge upon slave owners, therefore Brown’s attack had no justification. As pointed out before he went wrong when he led the raid at Pottawatomie Creek and the raid on Harpers Ferry. The first raid that John Brown led took place on the night of May 24th, 1856, at Pottawatomie Creek. It consisted of seven other men besides him; it resulted of a killing of five men. These five men were brutally hacked to death with sabers, and these men supported slavery but weren’t even slave owners themselves. And after that they even ran off with stolen goods. On October 16th, 1859 Brown led 21 men on another raid on Harpers Ferry. Brown had expected to steal weapons from the U.S.’ arsenal and once he had the weapons he thought the slaves would join him in a revolt to end slavery right then and there but even though Brown was fighting for them, the slaves did not join him because after seeing him in action, they felt he was too dangerous to associate with. Some view John Brown as self-sacrificing, courageous, and heroic because he was willing to die for his cause. Even many pacifists, who believe violence is unjustifiable, overlook his acts of violence because he was willing to die for his stance against slavery. They felt that in the times they were living in, violence can be justified, even though they wouldn’t use violence themselves,... ... middle of paper ... ...st campaign against slavery. Works Cited http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/learning_history/brown/john_brown_menu.cfm http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2011/spring/brown.html http://www.newsandsentinel.com/page/content.detail/id/513932/John-Brown-a-killer--not-a-hero.htm http://rhassig.edublogs.org/john-brown-terrorist/ http://www.historynet.com/john-browns-family-a-living-legacy.htm http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/learning_history/brown/john_brown_menu.cfm http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/brown/filmmore/reference/interview/washington06.html http://www.marxists.org/archive/debs/works/1907/johnbrown.htm http://spot.colorado.edu/~chernus/NonviolenceBook/Abolitionists.htm http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4i2975.html http://www.cfhi.net/DavidWalkerBlackWilmingtonAbolitionist.php http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/the-power-of-non-violence/
Brown had his mind made up to travel on the pathway to Harpers Ferry right when he was born and believed he is the only one that has to lead this battle. His parents were passionate Calvinists who taught their children to view life as an endless fight contrary to evil. The battle of John Brown was on a more personal level where he remembered a memory when he was five years old and his mother whipped him for stealing a vast amount of brass pins. In addition, the battle was somewhat on a political point as well because Brown and his family considered that the sincere had to be spectators against the bad people in America. They assumed that the biggest evil during their time has to be none other than the establishment of slavery. Therefore, the father of John Brown replaced their family residence in northeast Ohio into a stop on the Underground Railroad and made his son into a dedicated abolitionist. Brown’s developing participation in the movement in the 1830s and ’40s made him set his commitment as well as the rising nationwide fight over slavery’s position in a country supposedly devoted to equal opportunity. During this era, abolition...
John Brown should be remembered as a villain and a hero because he took armed possession of the federal arsenal and launch a massive slave insurrection to free the nation’s 4 million slaves.
The compelling accounts of Boston King and David George certainly allow the reader to attain a higher degree of respect and sorrow for the slaves of the south during the time of the American Revolution. There is no question that these two slaves, in addition to countless others, suffered much more than any man should ever have to. The daily fear that amounted to chaos in their minds day in and day out are enough to send shivers down ones spine. The risks these men took for their family to acquire freedom certainly should not go unnoticed. One can read and immediately see many distinct similarities in these two accounts of dangerous decisions made by these men to overcome their slavery, but these similarities are, as mentioned, easily spotted.
Unfortunantly for the new leaders of the nation, they were left with many issues that challenged American ideals, including slavery. 1831 was a very pivotal year for the beginning of the abolishment of slavery. Soon after the eclipse, fear spread throughout Virginia of a possible slave rebellion. Eventhough some slave owners treated their slaves well, it did not mean they were safe from attack. On August 22, Nat Turner killed his master along with his family, the first account of slave rebellion in history. Turner’s Rebellion instilled fear in southern slave owners that a planned attack could occur at any moment (19). Thomas R. Gray, a slave owner and lawyer interviewed the slaves behind bars. He spoke with Turner for three day...
John Brown was a man who lived in the mid eighteen-hundreds and who fought against the evil of slavery. He had a very strong belief that slavery was unjust, and this is true, but he thought that in order to abolish slavery, violence would be the best method. That’s where he went wrong. John Brown led two attacks on slave owners and those who supported slavery, the first at Pottawatomie Creek, Kansas on May 24th, 1856, and the second at Harper Ferry, Virginia on October 16th, 1859. At Pottawatomie Creek, joined by seven others, Brown brutally hacked to death five men with sabers. These men supported slavery but weren’t even slave owners themselves. On October 16th, 1859, Brown led 21 men on another raid on Harpers Ferry attempting to take possession of the U.S. arsenal and use the weapons in a revolt against slave owners, gathering up an army of slaves as he made his way south. Brown’s attacks were not in self-defense, they were heinous acts of revenge upon slave owners, and therefore his attack had no justification.
As these sources have illustrated due to the high demand for free labor, slavery became a prominent problem through this era. However, African enslaved did not simply obey their capture. The primary source The Slaves Mutiny written by in 1730 by William Snelgrave focuses on another aspect of slavery that the other sources didn’t quite touch on, or go into much depth, and that would be slave revolt or mutiny. Author Snelgrave explains that “several voyages proved unsuccessful by mutinies.”# As author Snelgrave states upon ““what induced them (the African slaves) to mutiny? They answered, “I was a rogue to buy them, in order to carry them away form their own country, and that they were resolved to regain their liberty if possible.”# Author Snelgrave states, “They had forfeited their freedom before I bought them, either by crimes or by being taken in war, according to the custom of their country, and they now being my
Once I came to Concord I worked as a farm laborer for seven years and was able to “own a house and two acres of land.” (Gross 186) Never in my dreams would I dream that I would have this, but compared to the white man I do not have anything and live a modest life. I am not complaining because my wife and I are privileged in comparison to other blacks in concord. Within Concord, “A small plot of land, a good house, decent clothes, and a full stomach: this was the best blacks could do in the new republic, and it was not much better than John Jack had done in a land of slavery.” (Gross 186) During John Jack’s time, “slaves were a badge of status,” (Gross 95) but if they worked hard enough they could buy their freedom to become no voting members of society, and still not as respected as whites. “John Jack, after all, had to buy a freedom that was a birthright of every white man in town.” (Gross 96) So I don’t know why these people went to war against you for their freedom, but the don’t view everyone in this land
In 1619, slaves from Africa started being shipped to America. In the years that followed, the slave population grew and the southern states became more dependent on the slaves for their plantations. Then in the 1800s slavery began to divide America, and this became a national conflict which lead to the Civil War. Throughout history, groups in the minority have risen up to fight for their freedom. In the United States, at the time of the Civil War African Americans had to fight for their freedom. African Americans used various methods to fight for their freedom during the Civil War such as passing information and supplies to the Union Army, escaping to Union territory, and serving in the Union’s army. These actions affected the African Americans and the United States by helping the African Americans earn citizenship and abolishing slavery in the United States.
Abolitionism quickly gained popularity since 1821 when William Lloyd Garrison assisted in writing an anti-slavery newspaper, The Genius of Universal Emancipation, with Benjamin Lundy. In 1831, abolitionism continued to grow in popularity when William Lloyd Garrison started The Liberator. Although there remained not a need for slaves in the North, slavery remained very big in the South for growing “cash crops.” The majority of the abolitionists who inhabited the North organized speeches, meetings, and newspapers to spread their cause. Initially, only small revolts and fights occurred. However, major events along the way led to the Harpers Ferry Raid. For example, with Kansas choosing whether or not to become a free or slave state. That became the biggest event up until John Brown’s Raid. John Brown had always despised slavery, and this enhanced his chance as an organized revolt. The effect of his raid on Harpers Ferry affected what the South thought about abolitionists and the power that they held.
Abraham Lincoln deserves the accolade “The Great Emancipator”. The title “Great Emancipator” has been the subject of many controversies. Some people have argued that the slaves themselves are the central story in the achievement of their own freedom. Others demonstrate that emancipation could result from both a slave’s own extraordinary heroism and the liberating actions of the Union forces. However, my stance is to agree that Abraham Lincoln deserves to be regarded as “The Great Emancipator” for his actions during and following the Civil War.
Along with all the rural arts Brown was skilled at, one of his most conspicuous talents was profuse and painful failure. He made many attempts at work and every one turned into a disappointment. In 1837, Brown made his first public statement on human bondage and from then on continued to speak out against slavery. For three years, he traveled East beseeching abolitionists for guns and money.
The historiography of the civil rights movement is often told in a simple dichotomy where prominent civil rights figures are divided on the theory and practice of non-violence versus the practice of active self-defense. The most vocal and perhaps the most famous individual synonymous with that of self-defense is that of Malcolm X. In Malcolm’s dedication to that of black liberation through self-defense, his most articulate writing regarding this issue is found in his now famous “Ballot or the Bullet” speech. Hence, this essay will critically analyze and summarize the main ideas and points that Malcolm X makes within the “Ballot or the Bullet” speech.
Many slave masters tried to defend owning slaves by claiming it’s not breaking any laws or hurting anything and in contrary it is actually bettering society. On November 27, 1789, John Brown wrote a letter to his brother Moses defending his right to take part in the slave trade. John Brown claims he needed to own slaves to pay back a debt in Europe. Which his debt would be left to his family if he were to pass away without fulfilling it. John Brown claims that if slaves weren’t with him they could be with someone else that could treat them worse. Brown views the slave trade as doing a favor to the slaves. In 1837, William Harper wrote, “Slavery in the Light of Ethics,” which can be summarized as we don’t know the effects of abolishing slavery and we should be worried of the aftermath if slavery was to be abolished. Putting an end to slavery would be bad for Southern
In 1779, William Wilberforce was also involved with fights for slaves. He was a Member of Parliament and made many speeches in Parliament. Thomas Clarkson was also a member of the group and collected the information concerning conditions aboard slave ships. He used this to persuade people how awful the trade was and soon huge petitions were started.
Alexander Hamilton and John Laurens wanted slaves to be able to earn their freedom by fighting in the war. Hamilton and Laurens believed that if the Continental Army did not give the slaves a chance to earn their freedom then Great Britain would take the opportunity. They were right. However, South Carolina Legislature didn’t approve this idea because slave import was at a standstill and the slave owners that ran the legislature did not like the idea of it. Then the British Governor made an announcement that all enslaved African Americans will be freed if they run away from their owners and fight for the British. Now Britain had slaves on their side too but they did not have free blacks. There was still no reason for free black people to join the British Army if they were in the North so they lost that demographic. Unlike a lot of the slave owners in The United States the British Governor went through with his promise and relocated those slaves to Britain, Nova Scotia and Jamaica. Most of them being sent to Jamaica and Nova Scotia because even though Britain freed them they still didn’t want them in their own country.