John Brown - In His Own Words

Quotes by a pre-Civil War American abolitionist

American abolitionist Frederick Douglass called him “our noblest American hero” who “began the war that ended slavery.” Southerners saw him as the epitome of abolitionism and Northern agression, while Union troops during the Civil War saw him as an inspiring spirit leading them into battle.

John Brown (1800 – 1859) was the person that shook the nation to its core in the mid-19th century. In spite of this, today, he is considered a marginal historical figure, puzzling and controversial. Many simply brush him off as a terrorist or a madman, failing to recognize the richness of his legacy, such as the advancement of civil rights, liberty, and equality.

The aim of this website is to shed light on the life of John Brown through his own words. Below is the 1850s map of the United States that highlights the main periods of John Brown's anti-slavery struggle: