John Brown Annotated Bibliography
by Kristen Epps
Banks, Russell.
Cloudsplitter: A Novel.
New York: Harper Collins, 1998.
This expansive work of historical fiction traces the life of John Brown through the eyes of his son Owen. Just as John Brown demonstrated a passionate zeal for the abolitionist cause, so too does Owen revel in the retelling of his father's crusade to end slavery. The novel follows the Brown family from their time in North Elba, New York, to their settlement in Kansas, and finally to the events at Harper's Ferry that made John Brown into a martyr for the abolitionist cause. Owen's narration illustrates the difficult choices and complexities that besought the Brown family and brings to life the religious underpinnings of Brown's crusade. Although the author did base his work on historical characters and consulted several biographies of John Brown, this is a work of fiction.
Barrett, Tracy.
Harper's Ferry: The Story of John Brown's Raid.
Brookfield, CT: Millbrook Press, 1994.
This 64-page children's book describes the story of John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry in 1859. It includes a brief discussion of how slavery was established in the South, how the town of Harper's Ferry came to be, and the early life of John Brown. Barrett then outlines how Brown became a radical abolitionist who believed that violence was necessary to end slavery, a decision which led to the raid on Harper's Ferry. The author also discusses how Americans and Europeans reacted to Brown's defeat and subsequent execution. This informative book includes full-color illustrations, a brief chronology, suggestions for further reading, a bibliography, and an index.
Carton, Evan.
Patriotic Treason: John Brown and the Soul of America.
New York: Free Press, 2006.
This recently-published biography of John Brown places his mission within a modern context by asking whether reformers have a moral obligation to use violence as a means of obtaining equality for all. Throughout the work, Carton strives to assist readers in drawing their own conclusions; he asks the reader to decide what it means to be a patriot and what it means to be a traitor. According to the author, Brown was a complex individual who acted consistently within the worldview of the antebellum North. This book is 387 pages long, including endnotes and the index.
Collins, James L.
John Brown and the Fight against Slavery.
Brookfield, CT: Millbrook Press, 1991.
This children's biography begins with a brief snapshot into the events that occurred at Harper's Ferry in 1859 before stepping back in time to recount John Brown's childhood and his conversion to abolitionism. After providing background about Bleeding Kansas and the Pottawatomie Massacre, Collins then moves into a description of the raid, Brown's trial, and his execution. It includes full-page illustrations that vividly highlight important places and historical figures related to the John Brown story. The 32-page book is appropriate for an elementary school audience and includes a timeline, list of suggested readings, and index. It is part of the Gateway to Civil Rights series.
Cox, Clinton.
Fiery Vision: The Life and Death of John Brown.
New York: Scholastic Press, 1997.
This biography, geared toward young adults, centers around John Brown's reputation as one of the most controversial figures in American history. Cox focuses particularly on how many historians and members of the public label John Brown as a fanatical (if not insane) murderer, while in fact he was a man of character who had made a passionate pledge to end slavery. The author weaves the story of Brown's life into the larger story of abolitionism, the fight over Kansas Territory, and the final days leading up to the Civil War. Fiery Vision includes a bibliography of sources related to abolition and slavery more generally. It is 230 pages long and includes black-and-white illustrations.
DeCaro, Louis A., Jr.
Fire from the Midst of You: A Religious Life of John Brown.
New York: New York University Press, 2002.
This work by religious historian Louis DeCaro places Brown within the religious and social context of antebellum America, drawing a connection between Brown's intense devotion to abolition and his strict religious upbringing. While some scholars have claimed that antebellum society was becoming more secularized in the years leading up to the Civil War, DeCaro emphasizes that Brown's religious heritage was not far removed from that of his contemporaries. Many Americans at the time, like Brown, believed that the Bible called for Christians to wipe out sin. For Brown and other abolitionists, the greatest sin was slavery. This work is 365 pages long and includes endnotes, bibliography, and an index.
DuBois, W. E. B.
John Brown, A Biography. New ed.
New York: M. E. Sharpe, 1997.
Written by well-known black intellectual W. E. B. DuBois in 1909, this biography provides insight into how the African-American community of the early-twentieth century viewed John Brown. Contemporary critics claimed that DuBois added little to story of Brown, however DuBois maintained that, while he did not add much to the Brown narrative, his book was unique because it provided a vivid interpretation of John Brown from the perspective of the African-American people. Thus, DuBois's biography explains how John Brown was part of a larger struggle for black equality and also defends Brown against those who would call him a murderer and a fanatic. This modern edition, at 222 pages, includes an introduction by John David Smith, a chronology, endnotes, bibliography, index, and related historical documents. It is part of the American History Through Literature Series, edited by historian Paul Finkelman.
Earle, Jonathan
John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry: A Brief History with Documents.
Boston: Bedford St. Martins, 2008.
Geared towards high school and college students, this book is ideal for classroom discussions about John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry. Jon Earle, a professor at the University of Kansas, begins his book with a short history of Brown's life, how he became involved in the abolitionist movement, and the fateful events that took place at Harper's Ferry in 1859. The second part of the book includes the text of important documents that are necessary to fully understand this enigmatic man, including letters to and from John Brown, court records created during his trial, and commentary from both Northern and Southern newspapers about his role in the raid. These documents demonstrate firsthand the many different ways that Americans perceived the use of violence in the war against slavery. This 208-page book includes a chronology, questions for consideration, and a bibliography.
Graham, Lorenz B.
John Brown: A Cry for Freedom.
New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1980.
This 180-page biography, suited for a junior-high reading level and up, describes how John Brown became an abolitionist and a supporter of racial equality. It begins with his childhood and ends with how his death polarized the nation and led to the Civil War. The author's goal is to tell the story of this controversial figure in order to encourage a better understanding between white and black Americans. The book includes illustrations, a bibliography, and an index.
Jones, Ray.
Harper's Ferry.
Gretna, LA: Pelican, 1992.
This easy-to-read history of Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, provides context for John Brown's raid in 1859. It discusses the founding of the town, its important location at the juncture of two major rivers (the Potomac and the Shenandoah), John Brown's raid, the Civil War years, and other key events in the history of this small town. It will be particularly interesting to readers who already have background knowledge of John Brown and want to learn more about this town's pivotal place at the center of American society during the years before and immediately after the Civil War. It is 206 pages long and includes an index.
Oates, Stephen.
To Purge This Land with Blood: A Biography of John Brown.
Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1982.
Perhaps the most thorough and definitive biography of Brown, this 434-page work examines this controversial figure with objectivity. Accorded to Stephen Oates, instead of idealizing (or, alternately, castigating) Brown for his actions in Bleeding Kansas and at Harper's Ferry, it is important for us to understand Brown's character and the complexities that made him into a martyr for the abolitionist cause. Oates provides a detailed portrait of this complicated man and the people who surrounded him--his family, his friends in the African-American community, and those who supported his raid on Harper's Ferry (including the "Secret Six"). It includes endnotes, a bibliography, and an index.
Peterson, Merrill D.
John Brown: The Legend Revisited.
Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2002.
Unlike most biographies of John Brown, this book by esteemed historian Merrill Peterson explores how Americans have interpreted Brown's actions since his death in 1859, looking particularly at how authors, artists, journalists, and playwrights have reinterpreted and refashioned his image. Peterson also discusses how Brown's radical stance on slavery cast him as a hero for African Americans and as a villain for many white Southerners. This book provides an insightful and easy-to-follow history of how the legend of John Brown lives on today. It is 190 pages including endnotes and index.
Reynolds, David S.
John Brown, Abolitionist: The Man Who Killed Slavery, Sparked the Civil War, and Seeded Civil Rights.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005.
This detailed cultural biography, written by a professor of English and American Studies at the City University of New York, examines John Brown's violent abolitionism in the light of current questions about the war on terror and the fine line between fighting for freedom and violent brutality. Reynolds places Brown's actions not only within the context of his strict religious upbringing, but also within the context of antebellum America, a world defined by slave revolts (and the Southern fear of such uprisings), transcendentalism, and the radical Christianity that took root during and after the Second Great Awakening. For Reynolds, Brown was responsible for planting the seeds of the broader civil rights movement as well as helping to bring about an end to slavery. The biography is 578 pages long, including a detailed index and endnotes.
Russo, Peggy A. and Paul Finkelman, eds.
Terrible Swift Sword: The Legacy of John Brown.
Athens: Ohio University Press, 2005.
This anthology is a collection of twelve scholarly articles by historians that touch on various aspects of the Brown story, ranging from how Brown has been represented in poetry to the local black community's involvement in the raid on Harper's Ferry. The collection is organized thematically, with insightful articles on psychological analyses of Brown and on how his memory lives on today. It includes a comprehensive chronology, endnotes, and short biographies of each author whose work is included in the volume.
Sanborn, Franklin, ed.
The Life and Letters of John Brown, Liberator of Kansas, and Martyr of Virginia.
Boston: Roberts Brothers., 1885.
Compiled by a member of the Secret Committee of Six who helped fund Brown's raid, this collection of Brown's letters is indispensable to any history buff seeking to understand Brown through his own words. Sanborn interweaves commentary and notes within the text to help explain the context for the correspondence, which includes letters to and from Brown. The correspondence is organized into thematic chapters and is indexed. It is 645 pages long.
Scott, John Anthony and Robert Allan Scott.
John Brown of Harper's Ferry.
New York: Facts on File, 1998.
This biography, suited for high school readers and up, looks at Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry in its first chapter and then backtracks to look more deeply at the life of this enigmatic abolitionist and at the world in which he lived. The second chapter discusses the institution of slavery, which is necessary to fully understand Brown the man. After providing a biography of Brown, the authors include an epilogue that examines the effects of the raid on Brown's family and on the nation. It includes some contemporary illustrations and maps. This book is 184 pages, with an index, bibliography, genealogy of the Brown family, and a list of Brown's raiders.
Secession Era Editorials Project, "John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry (Oct.-Dec. 1859),"
http://history.furman.edu/benson/docs/jbmenu.htm
This internet archive includes newspaper editorials written in reaction to John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry. The project is composed of four main sections, each focusing on a key event leading up to the Civil War: The Kansas-Nebraska Act, the caning of Charles Sumner, the Dred Scott case, and John Brown's raid. The editorials range in length and provide a thorough portrait of how Brown's raid magnified the growing rift between North and South.
Streissguth, Tom. Illustrated by Ralph L. Ramstad.
John Brown.
Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books, 1999.
This biography, suited for a 2nd-3rd grade reading level, describes how John Brown concluded that words would not win the battle against slavery--actions would. Most of the book focuses on Brown's observations of slavery, his time in Kansas, and the raid on Harper's Ferry in 1859. The book's afterword places John Brown in the context of the wider civil rights movement and asks the reader to think about whether violence is an acceptable tool for reformers seeking to change the world. It is 48 pages long with full color illustrations and a timeline of important events in John Brown's life.
Territorial Kansas Online,
http://www.territorialkansasonline.org
This website, created by the Kansas State Historical Society, provides access to historical documents and images related to various aspects of Kansas' territorial period, including politics and government, border warfare, immigration, and influential personalities like John Brown. Each entry includes a short descriptive abstract and keywords. Users can use the search feature or can explore key topics through "Territorial A-Z." Also, users can search for materials through an interactive county map, explore historic sites related to Bleeding Kansas, or read a timeline of key events. There are several lesson plans for teachers, including two dealing with John Brown.
Young, Jeff C.
Bleeding Kansas and the Violent Clash over Slavery in the Heartland.
Berkeley Heights, NJ: MyReportLinks.com Books, 2006.
This interactive book allows young readers access to internet websites with documents and photographs that can accompany class discussions of Bleeding Kansas or serve as sources for a school report. The book begins with a description of John Brown's role in the Pottawatomie Massacre and then moves into a history of how Kansas Territory came to be, including why "free-soilers" and pro-slavery settlers came to blows over the existence of slavery. It contains a map of important places in Bleeding Kansas, a timeline of key events, report links on the web, a glossary, chapter notes, a short bibliography, and an index. Suited for an older elementary school audience.