Henry Thoreau’s “Plea For John Brown” 

A truly righteous man

John Brown's body lies a mouldrin' in the grave but his soul goes marching on.

Thanks for this! This makes me respect Thoreau a lot more than just Walden (and it was interesting he was known more for the speech than Walden for a time). I only wish someone had asked about Thoreau's writing process with this, like what he chose to prioritize in the speech.

Ode to Captain John Brown

Unlike most abolitionists, John Brown actually talked to black activists, asked their opinion, and included them in discussions whenever he could. He was the closest you’re gonna get to intersectionality in the 1800’s.

Very exciting and excellent reading! Does anybody wonder why this history is not taught in schools?

It's funny how the government choose to deal with brown. He committed his crime on federal soil so it should have been the federal circuit that tried him. But so as not to risk his not being executed, nuisance that he was, they turned him over to Virginia. In Virgina they had no jurisdiction over the area of rhe crime so being that he actually committed no crime in Virginia they vaguely tried him for treason against Virginia. A silly proposition as he was not a citizen of Virginia. They essentially charged him with the crime it could be said he may have committed against The United States. But since they had no authority to do so they charged him with the only crime they might and convicted him despite him not qualifying for the crime.

Thoreau did not mention Brown's sons who knifed those defenseless settlers at Pottawatomie Creek in cold blood (none of whom had ever owned slaves BTW) . That was obviously unmitigated 1st degree terrorism murder and there is no question about this whatsoever. It wasnt done on behalf of any cause nor was it justified and I believe there was mo justice, nor arrests, convictions or even serious condemnation of it at the time by the press or politicians. Thoreau who I admire for his writings otherwise didnt mention it in his bizarre essay praising Brown's 'noble' occupation and 'sacrifice' at Harper s Ferry.