Hanging of John Brown
Blog, Civil War December 2nd. 2009, 12:00am
"Last Moments of John Brown"
According to the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, the hanging of John Brown would, “make the gallows as glorious as the cross.” Opinions varied of course, especially in the Southern States where he was viewed as the personification of everything they detested about the anti-slavery Northern States.
Between the hours of 11:00am and 12:00 pm on December 2, 1859, the virulent, abolitionist voice of John Brown was silenced forever although his message was not. The violent raid enacted by John Brown and his raiders brought the anti-slavery debate to the forefront of national news and conversation. Although many had died in the name of abolition, John Brown became the first identifiable martyr hailed as a hero for their cause.
His hanging further ignited the passions of a segment of American society determined to bring an end to human bondage.
Additional Links
- Eyewitness account of Thomas J. Jackson
- Eyewitness account of John T. L. Preston
- Another eyewitness describes the hanging of John Brown
December 2nd, 2009 at 2:21 am
Hello, I’m searching google and found your post. Nice post. Thanks!
December 5th, 2009 at 8:24 am
The best John Brown book is one by Elijah Avey, “Capture and Execution of John Brown, eyewittness account .
December 5th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Thank you for the insight!