John+Brown

John Brown (1800-1859) John Brown was born in Torrington, Connecticut on May 9, 1800 Brown spent most of his childhood in Ohio, where he was taught in local schools to resent compulsory education and by his parents to revere the Bible and hate slavery. In 1820 he married Dianthe Lusk, who gave Brown 7 children. Five years later they moved to Pennsylvania to open a tannery of there own. Within a year of moving His wife died in 1831. Brown soon re-married Mary Anne, who gave him another 13 children.

During the next 24 years Brown built and sold several tanneries, he raised sheep for there wool. Every one of his ventures failed Brown was to much a visionary, not enough of a businessman. As Brown became deeper and deeper into debt he frequently sought to the company of blacks. from living for 2 years in North Elba, N.Y. he became a militant abolitionist. A "conductor" of the underground railroad, he also became the organizer of a self-protection league for free blacks and fugitive slaves. By the time he was 50 Brown became entranced by visions of slave uprisings, when racists would be punished horribly for there sins. In 1855 he followed his 5 sons to Kansas to help make the state a haven for anti-slavery settlers. The following year, his hostility towards slave-staters exploded after the burning and pillaging the free state community of Lawrence. Brown having organizing a militia unit within the Osawatomie river colony, he led them on a mission of revenge. On the evening of 23 may 1856 Brown and 6 followers including 4 of his sons. They visited homes of pro-slavery men, and dragged their unarmed inhabitants into the night and hacked them to death with swords

On the night of October 16 1859, Brown set out fpr Harper Ferry with 18 men, and a wagon full of supplies heading to capture an armory all to help make Virginia a free state. Brown and his men slippedin easily at nightfall, and captured the armory without a shot fired. The shooting finally broke out early October 17, when Brown realized he was surrounded by 90+ marines everyone but 5 men from Browns group were either dead or wounded. John Brown was soon captured and jailed at Charlestown. His trial took place a week later were Brown had to lay wounded on a stretcher. Brown was later convicted of treason, a crime against the government and slso first degree murder in the state of Virgina He was sentenced to death by the gallows on November second of 1859. John Brown gave his life to end slavery once and for all, he gave up many things in his life to for fill his passion.

After John Browns death his cabin was given to one of his sons, and in 1928 it was moved to the John Brown memorial park. In 1928 the state of Kansas made a reinforced wall around the house to keep it from deterring anymore. The house is still maintained today, and can be considered a historical site. People are aloud to go and visit the house, but people are not aloud inside anymore because the state wants to preserve the house as much as possible.