John Brown

John Brown

The famous American folk-song

John Brown’s Body told the

Whole world about John Brown,

Friend of the slaves

John Brown was only nine years old when he saw a Negro slave beaten to death in the yard behind his parents’ home in Connecticut, USA. It was a great shock to the little boy.

“When I grow up, I will do something to help the poor slaves. I want to free them,” he used to say, and this was really what he decided to do.

In those days slavery was the rule. Slaves could be bought in the open market and sold again as their cruel masters wished. Husbands and wives could be parted, and mothers and children. Their life was so hard that John could not understand how people could stand it. The slaves had no rights at all.

The boy hated all this, and often discussed it with his people. “Johnny’s mad,” his people said.

When John Brown grew up, he tried different jobs. Tall, strong young John moved from one place to another. He worked on farms and worked as a clerk. But he always thought of the poor Negro people.

In 1856 he was terribly shocked once again then he saw a terrible scene: white men were beating a slave to death. John ran in to help the man. Others helped him, and in the fight five men were badly wounded and soon died.

John was put into prison, but he was soon freed, because in the speech he made in his own defence, he said that he was the man born to free all slaves. The judge – like many others – thought John Brown was mad.

“Let him go free,” he said.

All the slaves loved him and believed that he was heir leader. John Brown helped slaves who ran away to go to Canada, where there were no slaves. The news of what John Brown was doing travelled very quickly. By this time he was supported by white people who believed that he would free the slaves. Many people supported him with money.

John Brown made a plan to attack the arsenal in Virginia, to get arms, and then to free and arm the slaves. John Brown had only eighteen men with him, but he attacked the arsenal and took a number of soldiers prisoner.

Almost at once a force of US marines arrived to defend the arsenal. There was a fierce battle, and John Brown was wounded, taken prisoner and put into prison. This time he was sentenced to death. He was hanged, because he was John Brown, the leader of the slaves in their fight against the cruel slave owners.

The slaves were full of sorrow. They made up a song about John Brown. The song John Brown’s Body had become an American folk-song.