America's Good Terrorist

Book excerpt: A biography of John Brown, examining his failed raid on Harpers Ferry, and the part his actions played in causing the Civil War. John Brown’s failed efforts at Harpers Ferry have left an imprint upon our history, and his story still swirls in controversy. Was he a madman who felt his violent solution to slavery was ordained by Providence or a heroic freedom fighter who tried to liberate the downtrodden slave? These polar opposite characterizations of the violent abolitionist have captivated Americans. The prevailing view from the time of the raid to well into the twentieth century—that his actions were the product of an unbalanced mind—has shifted to the idea that he committed courageous acts to undo a terrible injustice. Despite the differences between modern terrorist acts and Brown’s own violent acts, when Brown’s characteristics are compared to the definition of terrorism as set forth by scholars of terrorism, he fits the profile. Nevertheless, today Brown is a martyred hero who gave his life attempting to terminate the evil institution of human bondage. The modern view of Brown has unintentionally made him a “good terrorist,” despite the repugnance of terrorism that makes the thought of a benevolent or good terrorist an oxymoron. This biography covers Brown’s background and the context to his decision to carry out the raid, a detailed narrative of the raid and its consequences for both those involved and America; and an exploration of the changing characterization of Brown since his death. “Serves as both a description of the events surrounding the raid in mid-October 1869 and as a character study of the abolitionist leader John Brown.” —Argunners