John Brown a Hero?
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Historical Background of John Brown
John Brown was an abolitionist and insurrectionist. He was a strong
opponent of slavery, and known to many as a radical. He assisted in
helping slaves escape before moving with his family to Kansas. At that
time, the Kansas-Nebraska Act had just been passed overruling the
Missouri Compromise. Settlers became argumentative over whether or
not their state should have slavery, and many riots erupted. John
Brown eagerly joined the anti-slavery side, declaring himself a
"captain" in ridding the area of slavery. At this time, John Brown led a
raid against pro-slavery settlers that ended in death and bloodshed.
Northern extremists looked to Brown as a hero. Brown decided to form
an "army" of other insurrectionists whose mission it would be to rid the
country of slavery.
In early 1859, Brown moved to a farm near Harpers Ferry, Virginia. He
armed his followers, and attacked and captured the federal arsenal. He
was surrounded by United States militia commanded by Robert E. Lee,
and was forced to surrender. Ten of his followers were killed, and John
Brown himself was captured. Brown's raid excited the North and
spurred their position to end slavery. In the south, people were
outraged over Brown’s raid. Brown was put on trial and was convicted
of treason. His punishment was death by hanging. Many southerners
were elated over his trial, while many northerners continued to fight
the spread of slavery. The interesting thing about the north was that
as a collective whole, the north held many differing opinions about
Brown’s raid. Some viewed him as a murderer and terrorist, others
viewed his raid as a "necessary evil," and others viewed him as a
martyr and almost saint-like. John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry was
viewed as a catalyst to the start of the Civil War.
While the north was initially divided in opinion after Brown’s raid, their
sentiments towards him changed over time. Initially, Northerners did
not view Brown's approach as heroic, but rather inappropriate and
unconstitutional. While they held Brown's view that slavery should be
abolished, they certainly did not want the south thinking they
advocated the use of violence and invasion in the process. However,
the South was so worried over the rebellion, that they overlooked civil
liberties and due process when it came to Brown's trial. Before Brown
was executed, he delivered a very eloquent speech indicating that he
once thought slavery could be ended without bloodshed, but ultimately
that would never happen. The North began to view Brown as more of a
martyr-like figure whereas the south became more nervous not only
about Brown, but the North's reaction to his raid. As the Civil War
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began, John Brown became a hero and motivating force for the
Northern army because, although he caused a relatively small amount
of bloodshed, the war itself was full of large acts of violence. Brown
became revered by some as a prophet.
Photographs and paintings of John Brown over the years depict vastly
different images of the man. Some portray Brown as a hero and saint,
while others show Brown as a tyrant and monster. In Thomas
Hovenden's painting, "The Last Moments of John Brown," Brown is
seen leaving the courthouse kissing a Black child in the arms of a
mother while white soldiers glare at John. It portrays a very kind and
dedicated John Brown, and affirms his mission to help all slaves. It
was painted in 1884 by a man from the north, well after the end of the
Civil War when slavery had been abolished. John Curry's "The Tragic
Prelude," from 1942, depicts a wild-looking John Brown holding a gun
and Bible. He is drawn larger than life, and much larger than others in
the painting. Brown is an intimidating and frightening figure in this
depiction with both blacks and whites cowering at his feet. It is
apparent that he is shown as a hero, and even a prophet. By this time
in history the Civil War is well over, and the nation is at war again for
different purposes. This portrait could even be looked at as a form to
gain patriotism. Finally, Currier and Ives' painting, "John Brown: The
Martyr," from 1870 is a simple scene showing a black mother and child
looking at Brown in adoration with a quiet plea for help while a white
soldier simply glares at him. It was painted a few years after the Civil
War ended, and depicts a scene similar to that of Hovenden's.
Letters, speeches, and articles written at the time of John Brown's trial
presented varying viewpoints of Americans at the time. Brown himself
wrote a letter on the day he was hanged declaring that what he had
done was right, and that it would continue until slavery was over.
Frances Watkins, a free black from Indiana wrote a letter to John
Brown acknowledging her agreement with his actions. She thanked
him for helping to save her race. In contrast, the Richmond "Whig"
Newspaper printed an editorial that same year rejoicing that John
Brown had been hung. Brown was called a murderer and a traitor.
Interestingly enough, the Mercury newspaper in South Carolina printed
an editorial from the New York Tribune declaring Brown a patriot.
While this was not unusual for Northerners to think, it definitely
presents an interesting question as to why a Southern newspaper
would be reprinting such an article.
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John Browns Guiding Question Sheet
1) When was your text written?
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2) Who wrote it?
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3) What format is your text? (Article, Newspaper, Speech, Letter)
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4) Where was the text written?
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5) How does this person feel about John Brown?
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6) Find one sentence in the text that proves how you think this person feels
about John Brown.
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7) What part of the country is this text from?
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8) Why do you think it’s important to read this text?
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The John Brown Song
Version by William Weston Patton
(CHORUS)
Glory, Glory, halle—hallelujah! Glory, Glory, halle—
hallelujah!
Glory, Glory, halle—hallelujah! His soul's marching on!
Old John Brown’s body lies moldering in the grave,
While weep the sons of bondage whom he ventured all to
save; But tho he lost his life while struggling for the slave,
His soul is marching on.
CHORUS
John Brown was a hero, undaunted, true and brave,
And Kansas knows his valor when he fought her rights to
save; Now, tho the grass grows green above his grave,
His soul is marching on.
CHORUS
He captured Harper’s Ferry, with his nineteen men so few,
And frightened "Old Virginny" till she trembled thru and
thru; They hung him for a traitor, themselves the traitor
crew, But his soul is marching on.
CHORUS
John Brown was John the Baptist of the Christ we are to
see, Christ who of the bondmen shall the Liberator be,
And soon thruout the Sunny South the slaves shall all be
free, For his soul is marching on.
CHORUS
The conflict that he heralded he looks from heaven to view,
On the army of the Union with its flag red, white and blue.
And heaven shall ring with anthems o’er the deed they
mean to do, For his soul is marching on.
CHORUS
Ye soldiers of Freedom, then strike, while strike ye may,
The death blow of oppression in a better time and way,
For the dawn of old John Brown has brightened into day,
And his soul is marching on
CHORUS
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Guiding Questions sheet for John Brown’s
Body Musical Composition
1) How does the music make you feel?
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2) What instruments do you hear?
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3) Who seems to be singing?
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4) How do you think the singers are feeling?
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5) When do you think this song would have been sung?
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6) Does this song make you feel like moving?
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7) Does this song remind you of any other songs?
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Guiding Questions for John Brown’s Body
Lyrics Sheet
1) What is this song about?
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2) What does the song sat about John Brown?
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3) Who does the song compare John Brown to?
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4) Is John Brown a good person in this song?
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5) When do you think the words were written?
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6) Why do you think William W. Patton wrote these words?
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7) Do you think William W. Patton was from the North or
South? How do you know?
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8) Why do you think it’s important for us to look at this song?
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History of John Browns Song
Battle hymn of the republic [Song Collection]
Battle hymn of the Republic by Mrs. Julia Ward Howe. Published by the Supervisory Committee
for Recruiting Colored Regiments. [n.d.] Music Division
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are
stored . . .
"The Battle Hymn of the Republic" went through a number of
versions in the years immediately before the Civil War. Its tune
and its early lyrics were written by William Steffe about 1856.
Its first verse and refrain were:
Say brothers, will you meet us?
Say brothers, will you meet us?
Say brothers, will you meet us?
On Canaan's happy shore?
Glory, glory hallelujah!
Glory, glory hallelujah!
Glory, glory hallelujah!
For ever, evermore!
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The song first gained popularity around Charleston, South
Carolina, where it was sung as a Methodist Camp Meeting song,
particularly in churches belonging to free Blacks. By contrast, it
was also used early on as a marching song on army posts.
The song gathered new verses following the insurrection at
Harper's Ferry, led by John Brown and carried out by a cadre of
nineteen men on October 16, 1859. Brown's actions, trial and
subsequent execution made him a martyr to Abolitionists and
African-Americans and prompted some people to add the
following lines to Steffe's by then popular song.
John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave,
John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave,
John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave,
His soul is marching on!
[Julia Ward Howe, half-length portrait, seated, facing left]. Photographer unknown. c1908 Apr.
27. Prints and Photographs Division
Some have also theorized that the new verses were written
about an inept Army sergeant named John Brown, thus giving
the lyrics a kind of humorous double entendre.
By the time of the Civil War "John Brown's Body" had become a
very popular marching song with Union Army regiments,
particularly among the Colored troops. The Twelfth
Massachusetts Regiment, in particular, has been credited with
spreading the song's fame on their march to the South, where
Confederate soldiers then inverted the meaning of their words
and sang, "John Brown's a-hanging on a sour apple tree." The
war's rivalry continued to be carried on in music as the
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northerners then sang in turn, "They will hang Jeff Davis to a
sour apple tree."
But it was when Julia Ward Howe visited Washington, DC in
1861 that the tune properly came to be called "The Battle
Hymn of the Republic." Howe and her husband, both of whom
were active abolitionists, experienced first-hand a skirmish
between Confederate and Union troops in nearby Virginia, and
heard the troops go into battle singing "John Brown's Body."
That evening, November 18, 1861, Ward was inspired to write
a poem that better fit the music. It began "Mine eyes have
seen the glory of the coming of the Lord." Her poem, which was
published in the Atlantic Monthly in February 1862 soon
became the song known as "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200000003/def
ault.html
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In Summary
The tune to "John Brown’s Body" was originally written some time
around 1856 by William Steffe as a camp-meeting song with the
traditional "Glory, glory hallelujah" refrain. Later, the lyrics were
rewritten to "poke fun" at a Scotsman in the Union army by the name
of John Brown. Knowing this Scotsman shared the same name as John
Brown the abolitionist, he was used to the jokes from his soldier
friends. "John Brown's Body" became a popular Union marching song,
and was played during rallies and in cities in the North. Many who
heard it were unaware of the Scotsman for whom the song was name.
Rather, people believed the "John Brown" in the song was the same
man who led the raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859. Later in 1861, a
northern man by the name of William W. Patton revised the lyrics to
make the song truly about John Brown the abolitionist. What stands
out in Patton's lyrics is the glorification of Brown's violent acts. This
version speaks of John as a martyr and goes as far as to compare him
to John the Baptist, liberating people from evil. The lyrics were later
revised for a third time by Julia Ward Howe to become what we know
today as the Battle Hymn of the Republic.