Born in 1800 and hanged in 1859, called Old Brown of Osawatomie, John Brown, an American abolitionist, attempted to end slavery by force and greatly increased tension between North and South in the period before the American Civil War.
Brown was born in Torrington, Connecticut. His family moved to Ohio when he was five years old. His family owned no slaves, so, at a young age, he was taught to hate this institution. While living in Pennsylvania in 1834, Brown initiated a project among abolitionists to educate young blacks. The next 20 years of his life were largely dedicated to this and similar abolitionist ventures, entailing many sacrifices for himself and his large family. In 1855 he followed five of his sons to Kansas Territory, then a center of struggle between the antislavery and proslavery forces. Under Brown's leadership, his sons became active participants in the fight against terrorists from Missouri, whose activities led to the murder of a number of abolitionists at Lawrence, Kansas. Brown and his sons avenged this crime, on May 24, 1856, at Pottawatomie Creek by killing five proslavery adherents. This act, as well as his success in withstanding a large party of attacking Missourians at Osawatomie in August, made him nationally famous as a terrible enemy of slavery.
Helped by increased financial support from abolitionists in the northeastern states, Brown began in 1857 to formulate a plan, which he had long entertained, to free the slaves by force. He felt this was the only way slavery could be abolished, as did many other abolitionists. He secretly recruited a small band of supporters for this project, which included the establishment of a refuge for fugitive slaves in the mountains of Virginia. After several setbacks, he finally launched the venture on October 16, 1859, with a force of 18 men (including several of his sons), seizing the United States arsenal and armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia), and winning control of the town. But he never made any attempts to keep it. His force was surrounded by the local militia, which was reinforced on October 17 by a company of U.S. Marines under the command of Colonel Robert E. Lee. Ten of Brown's men, including two of his sons, were killed in the ensuing battle, and he was wounded and forced to capitulate. He was arrested and charged with various crimes, including treason and murder. He distinguished himself during his trial, which took place before a Virginia court, by his defense of his efforts in behalf of the slaves. He was hanged in Charlestown(Charleston), Virginia (now West Virginia) in December 1859. For many years after his death, Brown was generally regarded among abolitionists as a martyr to the cause of human freedom. He became the subject of a famous song, known generally by the first line as
"John Brown's body lies a-mould'ring in the grave...."
My Old US History book, Me, Ms. Panel, and World Book.