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John Brown
This story will captivate and inspire your readers. John Brown hated slavery. On October 16, 1859, he and his armed followers took a violent stand against it. John Brown led his raiding party to the armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, with the intent of inciting slave rebellions throughout the South. However, within two days, ten of his men would be killed and Brown was arrested. Although the Harpers Ferry raid failed, John Brown had struck a blow against slavery. A staunch abolitionist his entire life, John Brown gave his life to end an evil that had existed in the United States for over two hundred years.
* Reviews *
Abolitionist John Brown is best known for the raid he led at Harpers Ferry in 1859. This 128-page biography chronicles his entire life (1800-1859) from his childhood on the frontier through his execution. Brown was first introduced to abolitionist beliefs as a young boy, because his father was a conductor on the Underground Railroad. A turning point for Brown was 1854 when he moved to Kansas. It was there that Brown commandeered his first attack on slavery. He led a raiding party to Pottawatomie Creek and murdered the pro-slavery leaders there. Less than five years later, he led John Browns Raid on the armory at Harpers Ferry. Author Schraff notes that it is likely that Brown achieved his goal of inciting slave uprising in the South, but ultimately, within forty-eight hours, ten of the raiders were killed and Brown had been arrested. On December 2, 1859, John Brown was executed. Frederick Douglass wrote years later, John Brown began the war that would end American slavery and make this a free republic. The book is in the series, Americans: The Spirit of a Nation. The biography would be an enjoyable and informative read for young history enthusiasts, and it would also be a valuable research tool to use in preparing reports related to the Civil War and slavery or great American leaders., Children's Literature
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Grades
5-6 IL
Grades
5-12+ GRL
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