Loewen's Lies My Teacher Told Me: John Brown

Mini-Essay
In Loewen’s Lies My Teacher Told Me: Chapter 6, he talks about John Brown. He says most textbooks don’t include John Brown’s full story. In high school, I was taught that John Brown was a radical abolitionist who gathered a small army and attempted to lead a slave revolt. He captured a federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry to get tools for the slave rebellion he attempted to lead. The slaves didn’t get the memo and he was captured there. They later hung him but he died being known as a martyr. Loewen reinforced all of these ideas. He also said a few things I didn’t know. One thing he said that I didn’t know was why Brown was the person he was. He said because Brown made friends with a black boy early in life, that made him realize that all black people

weren’t inferior. He was able to form his own opinion and had his own beliefs.

He also stated that Brown’s father was also an abolitionist. So the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree. Loewen stated that Brown paved the way for white people and black freemen to begin voicing their opinions and standing up for blacks publicly. All of these things were taught in this course and gave me a better understanding. I’ve learned about these things since about seventh grade and learned some things in this course on this topic that I’ve never heard before.
Loewen also discussed Abraham Lincoln in this chapter. I’ve learned things I never knew about Lincoln in this chapter and from lectures in class. In high school, I was taught that Lincoln was the president who freed the slaves and never told a lie. My history teacher referred to him as “Honest Abe”. We learned that when he won the presidency several states seceded the union. In 1863 he issued his Emancipation Proclamation and that freed all slaves in the confederate states. He was also known for his Gettysburg Address. A key part of what we learned about Abraham Lincoln was his assassination. He died being known as a martyr. I learned so much more about the Lincoln from the book and lectures.

He wasn’t who I was taught he was at all. Lincoln did oppose slavery but he didn’t free the slaves. In fact, he didn’t free a single slave. While he was campaigning he changed his views depending on where he was campaigning. He opposed slavery but made sure not to be accused of black and whites being equal. He realized that the nation couldn’t continue half free/half slave. He initially tolerated it but his position evolved. That’s when he said “A house divided will fall”. He also changed what he said depending on where he was. When he was in the south he was in favor of leaving slavery where it already existed not wanting it to spread. After the proclamation, Lincoln got the chance to make the war explicitly about slavery. The proclamation said that in all states under confederate control the slaves were now and forever free. He did this because it was a military necessity. Freed slaves in the north were now allowed to enlist in the military. But as I stated before he really didn’t free a single slave. I never knew that until taking this class. I am thankful we had to read this book because I found out stuff I never knew a thing about. I found out some things that were drilled into my head were in fact not true at all. This course and this book were so beneficial. I would recommend this course to anyone. Definitely a book I won’t sell back to the bookstore! 