John Brown, a white, 19th-century abolitionist, was born on May 9, 1800. A white man unwaveringly devoted to ending slavery, Brown spent his life fighting oppression—donating land to escaped slaves and aiding the Underground Railroad.
Frederick Douglass once said Brown “is in sympathy a Black man,” a testament to his deep commitment.
In 1859, Brown led 21 men—Black and white—in a raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, W.Va., aiming to spark a slave uprising.
The raid failed; Brown was wounded, captured, and ultimately hanged.
Though controversial, he remains one of the most enduring and radical figures in the history of American abolition.
A six-ton statue of John Brown, famed abolitionist with an arm around a black boy, was unveiled at Lake Placid, N.Y., May 9, 1935, before a crowd of 1,500. The statue was unveiled by Lyman Eppes, who was present at John Brown’s funeral in 1859. Sculptor was Joseph P. Pollia of New York. (AP Photo)
This is an undated photo of John Brown’s Fort located at the entrance of the Armory Grounds at Harpers Ferry, W. Va. An abolitionist who hoped to start a general slave revolt, Brown and his followers used the fire engine and guard house as their fort when they raided the U.S. armory and arsenal on Oct. 16, 1859. Brown was captured by Colonel Robert E. Lee, put on trial for treason, sentenced to death, and executed in Dec. 1859. (AP Photo)
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