American Experience; Interview with historian Charles Joyner, 1 of 3 : John Brown's Holy War
Description:
Martyr, madman, murderer, hero: John Brown remains one of history's most controversial and misunderstood figures. In the 1850s, he and his ragtag guerrilla group embarked on a righteous crusade against slavery that was based on religious faith -- yet carried out with shocking violence. His execution at Harpers Ferry sparked a chain of events that led to the Civil War. Joyner talks about Southern Power - "dough faces" (long), Southern Power - "dough faces" (short), Slave labor - whole US economy implicated in maintenance, Slave labor - cotton responsible for growth of US economy, Abolitionists - nonviolent, John Brown thought "milquetoast", Post Raid - nation divided, extreme positions, Icon - John Brown as hedgehog, obverse of Robert E. Lee, Plan - ill conceived, ill planned, ill executed, Military Planner - more like George Burns than George Patton, Blacks joining Brown - doubts, no rights, why fight?, Blacks on Brown - didn't trust whites, didn't trust Brown, Press - John Brown holding "press conferences" reshaping image
