by John Brown

John Brown was born in Connecticut in 1800 but raised in Ohio, where his values were shaped by a stern, Puritan upbringing. He was taught that God's will should be carried out without compromise. An antislavery crusader who believed that organized abolitionists were too mild in their tactics, he grew increasingly violent in his own methods. In 1859 he led a raid on the United States Arsenal at Harper's Ferry, Virginia. Killing several citizens, he and his men held the town briefly before their capture by government troops. In his speech defending these acts, Brown claimed that he had been motivated by deep religious and moral beliefs and that his deeds did not amount to murder and treason.

Events in History at the Time of the Speech

Slavery and abolition. During the 1800s the Northern states fostered the development of commerce...