History 210 Library Activities: John Brown's Raid
John Brown's Raid - Starting Places
Start here to get the basics on who John Brown was and why he decided to raid Harper's Ferry in the first place.
Print Sources:
Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid that Sparked the Civil War - E 451 H77 2011
To Raise up a Nation: John Brown, Frederick Douglass and the Making of a Free Country - E 453 K55 2013
Electronic Sources:
- Disunion! The Coming of the American Civil War, 1789-1859 Ebook on events leading up to Civil War. Last part has sections on Bleeding Kansas and other pre-war events that figured in John Brown's raid.
- John Brown From the Encyclopedia of World Biography, brief overview of John Brown's life and activities.
Primary Sources:
- Col. Robert E. Lee's Report Concerning the Attack at Harper's Ferry Report from Robert E. Lee on what occurred at Harper's Ferry.
- John Brown's address to the court John Brown's comments on the raid.
John Brown's Raid - Southern Reaction
What was the South's reaction to John Brown? Many were unhappy, but how many felt he was representative of northern attitudes? Did any southerners sympathize? What was the political outcome among state goverments and representatives?
Print Sources:
Lincoln's Loyalists: Union Soldiers from the Confederacy - E491 C94 1992
Electronic Sources:
- Documenting the South From University of North Carolina, includes a search and browse feature.
- John Brown's Raid From the Independence Hall Association's US History page. Includes a variety of reactions to the raid, including Southern.
- Secession From the book "Americans at War."
- Sectional Conflict and the Origins of the Civil War From the World History Encyclopedia
John Brown's Raid - Reaction among Slaves and Freedmen
How did African-Americans feel about John Brown? Do we have any records of slaves expressing an opinion?
Print Sources:
Life Upon These Shores: Looking at African-American History - FOLIO E 185 G27 2011
Electronic Sources:
- Black Abolitionist Archive From University of Detroit-Mercy a collection of speeches and publications from African-American abolitionists during John Brown's day.
- Brown, John 1800-1859 From the Encyclopedia of Race and Racism.
- Civil War Politics From the Encyclopedia of Race and Racism, has a section on African-American political agenda both before and after the war.
John Brown's Raid - Northern Reaction
Was John Brown right to go on the warpath? Did the North agree with his actions or did most disapprove? How did northern state representatives and governors react?
Print Sources:
Our Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln, John Brown, and the Civil War Era - E 457.8 O18
Electronic Sources:
- Secession Era Editorials A variety of editorials from both Northern and Southern newspapers on the raid.
John Brown's Raid - Brown and the Abolitionists
What did Brown have to say for himself? What about his supporters?
Print Sources:
Abolition: A History of Slavery and Antislavery - HT 861 D74 2009
The Problem of Slavery in the Age of Emancipation - E 449 D24 2014
The Scorpion's Sting: Antislavery and the Coming of the Civil War - E 449 O115 2014
Electronic Sources:
- Were Abolitionists Effective in Their Opposition to Slavery? From History in Dispute.
Subject Guide
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