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It’s John Brown’s birthday & he’s trending, so a reminder that he is very often misunderstood in popular historical memory. He was a deeply serious & committed abolitionist who was dedicated, strategic, & willing to be martyred to further the destruction of slavery. Some threads:
Here was my thread on The Good Lord Bird, starring Ethan Hawke as John Brown, which was a great show and book that, like the opening credits suggest, was mostly true, but it leans more into the popular mythical version of Brown, not the historical one. https://twitter.com/jonathanburdick/status/1312770913499328512">https://twitter.com/jonathanb...
Here’s a thread on the defenders of John Brown after his capture and the “sympathy meetings” held throughout northern cities leading up to his execution. #JohnBrown https://twitter.com/jonathanburdick/status/1377611246153895940">https://twitter.com/jonathanb...
This thread unpacks how many of John Brown’s contemporaries, from Henry David Thoreau to Victor Hugo to Frederick Douglass viewed the man and his actions, with some even comparing his sacrifice to Christ. https://twitter.com/jonathanburdick/status/1371089028301328384">https://twitter.com/jonathanb...
Here’s a thread on three fascinating interviews that John Brown did with William A. Phillips for @TheAtlantic. https://twitter.com/jonathanburdick/status/1205679946183692294">https://twitter.com/jonathanb...
This is my 2019 thread on Dangerfield Newby and others who died at Harpers Ferry and shouldn’t be forgotten. https://twitter.com/jonathanburdick/status/1184668034268569600">https://twitter.com/jonathanb...
