A John Brown Reader

by John Brown, Frederick Douglass, W. E. B. Du Bois

Overview

This original collection gathers a remarkably diverse body of literature about John Brown, the strident anti-slavery leader. Besides a selection of letters by the abolitionist himself, the book includes a significant excerpt from W. E. B. Du Bois's biography, John Brown, addresses by Frederick Douglass, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau, poetry by Louisa May Alcott and Herman Melville, and much more.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780486849089
Publisher:	Dover Publications
Publication date:	01/13/2021
Series:	Dover Thrift Editions: American History
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	971 KB

About the Author

John Brown (1800–1859) was an American abolitionist. Brown advocated the use of armed insurrection to overthrow the institution of slavery in the United States. He first gained national attention when he led small groups of volunteers during the Bleeding Kansas crisis of 1856.

Table of Contents

Part 1 In His Own Words 1

Part 2 The Literary Heritage

Letter to the Editor Victor Hugo 153

With a Rose Louisa May Alcott 156

The Portent Herman Melville 158

John Brown Ralph Waldo Emerson 160

The Last Days of John Brown Henry David Thoreau 163

John Brown Frederick Douglass 169

Osawatomie Carl Sandburg 190

John Brown's Prayer Stephen Vincent Benet 191

Part 3 W.E.B. Du Bois on John Brown

The Blow 195

The Paddle of the Sphinx 211

The Legacy of John Brown 226