John Brown's War against Slavery

McGlone reconstructs John Brown's aborted 'war' to free the 3.8 million slaves in the American South before the Civil War.

Robert E. McGlone (Author)

9781107617964, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 19 December 2013

462 pages, 32 b/w illus.
23.4 x 15.6 x 2.6 cm, 0.71 kg

'… John Brown's War against Slavery emerged as a formidable and felicitous labor of scholarship, the nature of which merits recognition as a landmark contribution to the literature. … excellently written and thoroughly annotated so that John Brown students will find it an extremely helpful volume, both for its depth of research and for its insightful interpretation. … [This book] is a formidable work and noteworthy contribution to the literature …' The Journal of American Studies

Drawing on both new and neglected evidence, this book reconstructs Old John Brown's aborted 'war' to free the 3.8 million slaves in the American South before the Civil War. It critiques misleading sources that either exalt Brown's 'heroism' and noble purpose or condemn his 'monomania' and 'lawlessness'. McGlone explains the sources of his obsession with slavery and his notorious crime at Pottawatomie Creek in 'Bleeding Kansas' as well as how the Harpers Ferry raid figured into Brown's larger vision and why he was captured in the federal armory there. John Brown's War against Slavery chronicles how this American apostle of violence on behalf of the 'downtrodden', this abolitionist 'fanatic' and 'terroriser', ultimately rescued his cause by going to the gallows with resolution and outward calm. By embracing martyrdom, John Brown helped to spread panic in the South and persuaded northern sympathizers that failure can be noble and political violence 'righteous'.

1. Introduction: an exalted defeat
Part I. Inclinations of Head and Heart: 2. The connection
3. First son
Part II. Rebirth: 4. Pilgrim
5. Steward
6. Terroriser
Part III. Jeremiads: 7. Monomaniac
8. God's reaper
Part IV. Strategies: 9. Propagandist
10. Conspirator
11. Insurrectionist
12. Witness
Part V. Messages: 13. God's emissary.

Subject Areas: Slavery & abolition of slavery [HBTS], Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900 [HBLL], History of the Americas [HBJK]