John Brown: Hero or Terrorist?

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When evaluating the actions of historical figures, it is not easy to categorize their actions as heroic or acts of terrorism. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, a hero is a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities[1]. While a terrorist is a person who uses violent acts to frighten the people in an area as a way of trying to achieve a political goal[2]. One such controversial historical figure is the abolitionist John Brown. Although Brown fought for the emancipation of slaves, a heroic cause, his use of terror tactics and violence to achieve his political goals has been compared to the 9/11 terrorist attacks,

Brown’s strike force was similar in size and make-up to that of the 9/11 hijackers. He led 21 men, all but two in their 20s, and many of them radicalized by guerrilla fighting in Bleeding Kansas, the abolitionists’ Afghanistan. Brown also relied on covert backers – not oil-rich Saudis, but prominent Yankees known as the Secret Six. Brown used aliases and coded language and gathered his men at a mountain hideout. Brown and his men were prepared to die, and most did, in what quickly became a suicide mission.[3]

 

Using terror tactics and violence, John Brown hoped to procure freedom for all slaves. Although Brown was fighting for a noble cause, the tactics he used in order to accomplish his goals sway the categorization of Brown from a hero to a terrorist.

During the 19th century, slavery was the primary debate of the nation. Passionate abolitionists filled the north and intense slave owners comprised the south.  Brown was a key part of abolitionism, some even going so far to say he was, “The man who killed slavery, sparked the civil war, and seeded civil rights”[4]. Brown was a man who took action on things he believed in, such as abolitionism, and nothing was going to stop him. John Brown was an interesting man, from his upbringing, to the life he led as an adult and abolitionist. There were many experiences during his early years that fueled his hatred of slavery. One such experience was witnessing the beating of a slave boy, not much older than himself,

The Master made a great pet of John: brought him to table with his first company; & friends; called their attention to every little smart thing he said or did: & to the fact of his being more than a hundred miles from home with a company of cattle alone; while the negro boy (who was fully if not more than his equal) was badly clothed, poorly fed; & lodged in cold weather; & beaten before his eyes with Iron Shovels or any other thing that came first to hand. This brought John to reflect on the wretched, hopeless condition, of Fatherless & Motherless slave children: for such children have neither Fathers nor Mothers to protect & provide for them.[5]

 

Brown’s experiences were not the only thing influencing his actions toward slavery in his adult life. Another factor impacting Brown was growing up in an extremely religious family in Torrington, Connecticut, where his father was passionately opposed to slavery.[6] Owen Brown, John Brown’s father, was the inspiration behind the anti-slavery views Brown possessed. Brown’s experiences and upbringing turned him into an arrogant, self-certified and domineering man and these attributes would guide his actions when he would lead the Pottawatomie Massacre and raid on Harpers Ferry[7].

John Brown had a noble goal, the abolishment of slavery. However, in order to accomplish his goal, Brown invoked fear and utilized violence in order to try and free the slaves. The violence and killings of the Pottawatomie Massacre and the raid on Harpers Ferry are two events exemplifying Brown’s terrorist mentality. The Pottawatomie Massacre, one of the violent missions Brown used to accomplish his political goal, was directed toward pro-slavery Law and Order party members, such as James Doyle and his family, “At the Doyle farm, James and two of his sons, William and Drury, were dragged outside and hacked up with short, heavy sabers”[8]. Mrs. Doyle would later comment that Brown had “an eye like a snake”[9]. The violent actions at the Pottawatomie Massacre were a stepping-stone for Brown’s larger goal, the raid on Harpers Ferry.

During the raid on Harpers Ferry, Brown shot a free African American man in the back because he refused to stop when Brown instructed him to. Even though Brown’s men indicated he did not take part in the killings, “…their Captain did not commit any of the actual murders himself, he was the undisputed leader and made the decisions as to who should be spared”[10], in a way he was playing God, deciding who should live and die. While violent acts alone don’t qualify Brown as a terrorist, the terror he incited does,

In 1859, John Brown sought not only to free slaves in Virginia but to terrorize the South and incite a broad conflict. In this he triumphed: panicked whites soon mobilized, militarized and marched double-quick toward secession. Brown’s raid didn’t cause the Civil War, but it was certainly a catalyst.[11]

 

Brown had a meaningful purpose going into the raid on Harpers Ferry, but sometimes good intentions can lead to bad decisions. Brown could have joined other key abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman who used peaceful means to try and end slavery, but the fact that he resorted to violence and terror tactics classifies Brown as a terrorist rather than hero.

The controversy around Brown did not end in the 1800s. Although it is easy to claim John Brown’s actions as terrorism, there are many who argue Brown was not a domestic terrorist, but rather a national hero. When reflecting back to Brown’s time, it is easy to understand why many viewed him as a hero. His actions were so revered during the time that “John Brown’s Body” became a popular anthem for Union soldiers on their way to battles, “John Brown was a hero, undaunted, true and brave, And Kansas knows his valor when he fought her rights to save; Now tho the grass grows green above his grave, His soul is marching on”[12]. Even Frederick Douglass, a freed slave and fellow abolitionist raved about Brown’s heroic character,

The country had before this learned the value of Brown’s heroic character. He had shown boundless courage and skill in dealing with the enemies of liberty in Kansas. With men so few, and means so small, and odds against him so great, no captain ever surpassed him in achievements, some of which seem almost beyond belief.[13]

 

Although many raved about Brown’s heroic efforts to end slavery, does the end really justify the means? The terror tactics Brown utilized and the violent acts he oversaw may have been his way of ending slavery, but is solving violence with more violence really a way of solving anything?

John Brown is a controversial historical figure. Brown’s goal of abolishing slavery was a noble one, but using terrorist tactics to accomplish his goal, fuels the debate on his categorization as a hero or terrorist. It is difficult classifying Brown as a hero or terrorist. He was a hero in the sense he tried to abolish slavery, yet he was a terrorist because he used violent acts to accomplish his political goal. Brown’s life was filled with a hatred for slavery and he used the tactics he believed would end slavery the fastest. Before his death Brown stated,

I believe that to have interfered as I have done in behalf of His despised poor, is no wrong, but right. Now, if it is deemed necessary that I should forfeit my life for the furtherance of the ends of justice, and mingle my blood with the blood of millions in this slave country whose rights are disregarded by wicked, cruel, and unjust enactments, I say “let it be done.”[14]

 

People may never agree on whether John Brown was a national hero or domestic terrorist. John Brown used violence and terror tactics in an attempt to force change in the United States. Whether history ever agrees on Brown, there is one thing that is certain, Brown believed he was right, “Whether the enterprise of John Brown and his associates in Virginia was wise or foolish, right or wrong; I only know that, whether the enterprise itself was the one or the other, John Brown himself is right.”

 

Biography

Crompton, Samuel, W. “The Raid on Harpers Ferry: John Brown’s Rebellion.” Press. Chelsea House Publishing, New York. 2010.

Douglass, Frederick. “Address by Frederick Douglass.” Speech, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. May 30, 1881. http://www.wvculture.org/history/jbexhibit/bbspr05-0032.html.

Finkleman, Paul. “John Brown: America’s First Terrorist?”  Prologue Magazine. Spring 2011. Vol. 43. No. 1 http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2011/spring/brown.html.

“Hero.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hero.

Horowitz, Tony. “Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid that Sparked the Civil War.” Press. Thorndike Press, Detroit, 2011.

Horowitz, Tony. “The 9/11 of 1859.” Dec. 2009, NY Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/02/opinion/02horwitz.html.

John Brown to Henry L. Stearns. Letter. July 15, 1857. http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/johnbrown/browntohenrystearns.html

“John Brown and the Pottawatomie Killings,” Accessed Nov. 17, 2013, http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/hns/kansas/jbrown.html.

“John Brown.” PBS. Accessed November 16, 2013. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p1550.html.

Paton, William, H., “John Brown’s Body,” Song, 1861. http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/johnbrown/brownbody.html.

Reynolds, David S. John Brown, Abolitionist: The Man Who Killed Slavery, Sparked the Civil War, and Seeded Civil Rights. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005.

 “Terrorist.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrorist.

[1] Merriam-Webster Dictionary, s.v. “hero.” http://merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hero.

[2] Merriam-Webster Dictionary, s.v. “terrorist.” http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrorist.

[3] Horowitz, Tony, “The 9/11 of 1859,” Dec. 2009, NY Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/02/opinion/02horwitz.html.

[4] Reynolds, David S. John Brown, Abolitionist: The Man Who Killed Slavery, Sparked the Civil War, and Seeded Civil Rights. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. Front Cover.

[5] John Brown to Henry L. Stearns. July 15, 1857.

[6] “John Brown.” PBS. Accessed November 16, 2013. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p1550.html.

[7] Horowitz, Tony, “Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid that Sparked the Civil War,” Thorndike Press, Detroit, 2011.

[8] “John Brown and the Pottawatomie Killings,” Accessed Nov. 17, 2013, http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/hns/kansas/jbrown.html.

[9] Crompton, Samuel William. “The Raid on Harpers Ferry: John Brown’s Rebellion,” Page 35, Chelsea House Publishing, New York, 2010.

[10] “John Brown and the Pottawatomie Killings,” Accessed Nov. 17, 2013, http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/hns/kansas/jbrown.html.

[11] Horowitz, Tony, “The 9/11 of 1859,” Dec. 2009, NY Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/02/opinion/02horwitz.html.

[12] Paton, William, H., “John Brown’s Body,” 1861, http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/johnbrown/brownbody.html.

[13] Douglass, Frederick, “Address by Frederick Douglass,” May 30, 1881, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. http://www.wvculture.org/history/jbexhibit/bbspr05-0032.html.

[14] Finkleman, Paul, “John Brown: America’s First Terrorist?”  Prologue Magazine, Spring 2011, Vol. 43, No. 1 http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2011/spring/brown.html.

Slavery and Liberty, William Jewell and Clay County

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http://shs.umsystem.edu/historicmissourians/name/j/jamesr/index.html

http://www.jewell.edu/gen/partee_center_generated_pages/Genealogy_m30.html

http://littledixie.net/slavery_in_clay_county.htm

http://www.historicliberty.org/Tours/AfricanAmericanWalkingTour.aspx

http://digitool.library.colostate.edu///exlibris/dtl/d3_1/apache_media/L2V4bGlicmlzL2R0bC9kM18xL2FwYWNoZV9tZWRpYS8xMjA1MzI=.pdf

http://books.google.com/books?id=GCwC9JMUh2EC&pg=PA152&dq=william+jewell+slavery&hl=en&sa=X&ei=pHduUtrEDsqgsQT21oGgCQ&ved=0CEgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=william%20jewell%20slavery&f=false

http://www.dnr.mo.gov/shpo/nps-nr/78001642.pdf

One of the Worlds Greatest Inventions: The Steel Plow

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Connor O’Neill

Invention
October 21, 2013

One of the World’s Greatest Inventions: The Steel Plow

                Feeding humanity has been a concern of every culture since the beginning of humankind.  Once cultures were organized, farming took over as one of the most prominent and efficient sources of food. Americans especially involved themselves in farming, not only as a way of self-sustenance but also as an occupation. Farming has come a long way since the 19th century, but one of the most innovative pieces of farm equipment ever made was the steel plow. John Deere developed the first steel plow, which drastically changed not only farmers’ lives, but also the entire American population. The steel plow positively influenced America because it was more efficient and increased production, accommodated the growing population, and encouraged migration into the western frontier.

                In the 19th century, 75% of the American population consisted of farmers.  Although this dates back to when the majority of Americans processed their own dairy products, collected their own eggs, and slaughtered their own meat, this is still an impressive statistic. Before the mid 1840s, most farms consisted of a variety of hand held tools that limited a farmer’s ability to “plow” his field and plant new crops.  Therefore, a handful of Americans tried to invent a more effective plow. To be clear development of different types of plows date back to biblical times but nobody invented the steel plow that helped American farmers until the mid 19th century. Many plows at this time were made of wood and broke easily. Thomas Jefferson led the inventors with a steel plow (pictured at above), but he was interested in too many other areas to produce this plow.[1] His plow was made of iron, but he did not design a polished plow, which meant soil would stick to the plow eroding the ground. Despite this, his plow design was very similar to the steel plow that farmers would eventually use throughout America. Some other inventors such as Jethro Wood and William Parlin constructed their own plows, but struggled with patents and distribution and never became successful.[2]  In 1837, the legendary John Deere built the first self-polishing steel plow. He built the first plow partly out of broken saw blades that cut easily through sticky soil and sold it to farmers who gave very positive reviews. Farmers’ productivity increased immensely which led to a great demand for the steel plow. John Deere noticed the impact the steel plow had, and met this demand with efficiency and enthusiasm. The way Deere built the plow made it light enough for horses to pull, rather than oxen. Not too long after the that, farmers started pulling their plows by steam powered tractors pictured above.[3] Then as steam-powered tractors were pulling plows, Deere and other plow building companies built longer, and wider plows as pictured above. [4] Therefore, the plowing industry was a successful fast growing industry.

                Increased efficiency was the steel plow’s most profound impact on American farmers and society. John Deere explains the positive effects perfectly in an advertisement for John Deere plows in the “Rock River Register” newspaper. The advertisement reads, “It (steel plow) will do more work in a day, and do it much better and with less labor, to both team and holder, than the ordinary plows that do not scour, and in consequence of the ground being better prepared, the agriculturist obtains a much heavier crop.”[5] The advertisement explains perfectly that properly plowed healthy ground yields more crops for the land used. This affected America because in the first part of the 19th century, the western frontier was expanding and the population growing. American farmers started looking for different plows that could withstand the plowing process without breaking, and Deere provided them with his durable steel plow. Therefore, the demand for plows increased quickly and Deere started producing more and more plows per year. Soon after, most farmers were using plows, which increased efficiency to meet the demand of the people.

                Along with efficiency, the plow influenced Americans because of its increase in production. In today’s age, some people are opposed to technological advances because they take jobs away that humans otherwise work. The steel plow impacted farm work, by increasing production and a reduction of labor force. The plow did not cause a loss of many jobs, because normally farming was a family business, ran by the farmer. Therefore, it benefited farmers because it enabled them to produce crops that are more efficient in less time. The reason mentioning production is necessary is that it was a substantial increase in production. Productivity of the plow was so impactful because based off supply and demand the number of farmers in America decreased, but production increased. With America still growing quickly in the 19th century, the demand for food crops kept increasing and the plow provided enough production to satisfy the demand.

                Finally, the plow encouraged human migration into the western frontier. The problem with the western frontier prior to the plow was that its ground was much different than the eastern seaboard ground. The western ground made it harder to grow crops. Without the plow, farmers were not able to grow crops. People thought the western frontier was simply uninhabitable because there was no way to grow any type of crop. The invention of the plow made it possible to cultivate the land and grow the crops. Because the steel plow encouraged movement west, one could link many other changes to American culture and industry in the 19th century to the invention of the steel plow.[6] The plow, along with other farming inventions, led to the first American agricultural revolution. This revolution consisted of many farmers abandoning their farms in the eastern part of America to start farming on the western frontier because the land was much better for farming now that it was farmable.[7] Therefore, one of the largest impacts the plow had on America was that it encouraged human migration to the western frontier for better farmland.

                In conclusion, the steel plow was an amazing piece of agricultural technology created by John Deere in 1837 that increased efficiency as well as production, and encouraged farmers to head west for land that was more farmable. Firstly, the steel plow was able to make farming more efficient because farmers were able to get more crop for the amount of land used by cultivating with the plow first. Along with efficiency, the plow increased production because the plow made the planting crops much easier and reduced the time it took to plant crops. Finally, the plow encouraged human migration into the western frontier, which led to the first American agricultural revolution. John Deere is still the current day leader in farming technology, which is amazing to think about because Mr. John Deere started the company 176 years ago by building a plow out of broken saw blades.  I also enjoyed learning about the first American agricultural revolution, which directly related to the plow. It is incredible to see the impact and reaction certain inventions have on American history.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bibliography

 

“Advertisement for John Deere Plows.” History Database Search – Home. March 10, 1843. Accessed October 23, 2013. http://www.fofweb.com/History/HistRefMain.asp?iPin=E14099.

 

Bellis, Mary. “John Deere – Invented a Better Plow.” John Deere – Invented a Better Plow. Accessed October 23, 2013. http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bldeere.htm.

 

Drache, Hiram M. “The Impact of John Deere’s Plow.” The Impact of John Deere’s Plow. Accessed October 23, 2013. http://www.lib.niu.edu/2001/iht810102.html.

 

Jack Anderson’s Minneapolis Steamer and John Deere Plow. 1910. Fred Hultstrand and F.A. Pazandak Photograph Collections. Accessed October 23, 2013. Fred Hultstrand and F.A. Pazandak Photograph Collections.

 

Jefferson, Thomas. Thomas Jefferson’s Design for a Plow. 1794. Thomas Jefferson Papers.

 

Looking Down from a Steamer on a 14-14 Breaker. 1910. Fred Hultstrand and F.A. Pazandak Photograph Collections, Fullerton, ND.

 

Rasmussen, Wayne D. “The Impact of Technological Change on American Agriculture.” The Journal of Economic History 22, no. 4 (December 1962): 578-91.

 

[1] Jefferson, Thomas. Thomas Jefferson’s Design for a Plow. 1794. Thomas Jefferson Papers.

[2] Bellis, Mary. “John Deere – Invented a Better Plow.” John Deere – Invented a Better Plow. Accessed October 23, 2013. http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bldeere.htm.

 

[3] Jack Anderson’s Minneapolis Steamer and John Deere Plow. 1910. Fred Hultstrand and F.A. Pazandak Photograph Collections. Accessed October 23, 2013. Fred Hultstrand and F.A. Pazandak Photograph Collections.

 

[4] Looking Down from a Steamer on a 14-14 Breaker. 1910. Fred Hultstrand and F.A. Pazandak Photograph Collections, Fullerton, ND.

[5] “Advertisement for John Deere Plows.” History Database Search – Home. March 10, 1843. Accessed October 23, 2013. http://www.fofweb.com/History/HistRefMain.asp?iPin=E14099.

 

[6] Drache, Hiram M. “The Impact of John Deere’s Plow.” The Impact of John Deere’s Plow. Accessed October 23, 2013. http://www.lib.niu.edu/2001/iht810102.html.

[7] Rasmussen, Wayne D. “The Impact of Technological Change on American Agriculture.” The Journal of Economic History 22, no. 4 (December 1962): 578-91