John Brown's Address to the Virginia Court, 1859

    Words of John Brown before he received a death sentence for treason charges.
    Courtesy of Library of Congress, Brown, John, "Address of John Brown to the Virginia Court," C.C. Mead, Boston, 1859

    Description

    The document features the words of John Brown before he received a sentence for the charge of treason in a Virginia courtroom. Brown would receive the sentence of death for his participation in the raid at Harper's Ferry. The raid was an effort by armed abolitionists, led by Brown, to initiate an armed slave revolt in 1859 by taking over a United States arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia.

    Transcript of John Brown's Address to the Virginia Court

    Source-Dependent Questions

    • How does John Brown justify his actions in this address?
    • Based on these last words, does Brown convince you that his actions were right? What specific quotes from the text can you use to support your opinion?

    Citation Information 

    Brown, John, "Address of John Brown to the Virginia Court," C.C. Mead, Boston, 1859. Courtesy of Library of Congress

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