John Brow's Raid on Harper's Ferry, and it's after-effects
... on Harper’s Ferry, most northern opinion was split on supporting John Brown because of his abolitionist ideals, but at the same time also condemning him because of his attack on federal property. As evidenced by documents A, C, and E, it is clear that northerners were trying to support Brown, but at the same time, not be seen as warmongers or sectionalists. In one quote, “ But his are the errors of a fanatic, not the crimes of a felon” we can clearly see that Northerners were angered by his attack on federal property, but they were also outraged at what they saw as an excess when Brown was hanged. As the war began however, and the overall mood in the North changed from reconciling with the South to conquering it and preserving the union, John Brown was seen more and more as a martyr, rather than a misguided abolitionist. Many autobiographies were written on his life, and while they all differed on opinion and facts presented, the majority of them attempted to glorify, instead of accurately judge, his violent leanings towards slavery and slaveholders in general. Documents B, D and F were all grouped together, not only based on their illustration of growing northern support for Brown, but also because rather than judging his actions in a fair light, many more northerners now unconditionally supported Brown and his actions. Documents G and H were singled out because of their narrow perspective on Brown. Instead of showing him as the murderer that he was, they focus instead on his good side. For example, document G is a battle song attributed to John Brown; the song focuses entirely on Brown’s antislavery stance and his fight for the abolishment of it; not one line mentions his brutal murders or his attempt to take over federal property. Also, document H attempts to cast a good light on Brown even as he is lead to the scaffold, by showing him meeting with a slave and her child on his way to die. By being so one-sided, these examples serve to show us how many northerne...