John Brown: Militant Abolitionist

Episode 170. John Brown was a vehemently anti-slavery abolitionist who resorted to violence in order to dismantle the racist institution. His belief was that if enough people rose up, black people could be free in the United States. He also believed that the only way this could happen was by soaking the land in blood. 

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Sources

“John Brown” by history.com editors (Oct 27 2009, updated May 28 2025)

https://www.history.com/articles/john-brown

“John Brown” 

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/john-brown

“John Brown” by Harry Searles (Sept 24 2019, updated Jan 10 2025)

https://www.americanhistorycentral.com/entries/john-brown/

“John Brown” 

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p1550.html

“John Brown” 

https://www.nps.gov/people/john-brown.htm

“John Brown” by Joshua J. Mark (Jun 25 2025)

https://www.worldhistory.org/John_Brown/

“John Brown’s Day of Reckoning” by Fergus M. Bordewich (Oct 2009)

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/john-browns-day-of-reckoning-139165084/

“John Brown” by Britannica Editors (Jul 31 2026)

https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Brown-American-abolitionist

Sound Credits:

“Battle Hymn of the Republic” by the US Air Force Band (1999)

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%22The_Battle_Hymn_of_the_Republic%22_US_Air_Force_Band.ogg 

<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%22The_Battle_Hymn_of_the_Republic%22_US_Air_Force_Band.ogg">Composition: William Steffe; Performance: United States Air Forces in Europe Band, Concert Band; Recording: United States Air Force</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons