For this final paper, you will write a short paper that answers the question Was John Brown a Terrorist? To do this, you must address the life of John Brown and the issues of slavery, abolitionism, and violence.
Your essay should include each of the following:
1. Coherent, structured, and well-organized writing at both the paragraph and sentence levels;
2. A clear argument (i.e. thesis statement)laid out in the introductory paragraph(s)that answers the central question of the prompt and includes, or is tied to, a working definition of terrorism;
3. Description and analysis of Browns raid on Harpers Ferry, some of the major events that led Brown to Harpers Ferry, and other relevant biographical information about Brown;
4. Contextual information regarding the abolitionist movement and the distinct role Brown played within the movement;
5. Quotationswith corresponding citationsfrom a minimum of four separate primary sources found in the course textbook, John Browns Raid on Harpers Ferry;
6. At least one quotation in each paragraph, not including the conclusion.
As we discussed in class, to answer the question Was John Brown a terrorist? youll also need to answer two
follow-up questions: Who was John Brown? And what is terrorism?
To answer all these questions, youll need to provide some historical context for Browns raid on Harpers
Ferry. This will require providing some basic biographical information on Brown. Do NOT write a full, two-
page biography of Brown. Instead focus on those aspects of Browns life (e.g. his participation in Bleeding
Kansas) that best explain why he decided to organize the raid on Harpers Ferry. Your biographical account of
Brown should focus on contextualizing Browns raid on Harpers Ferry and explaining why Brown came to
believe that violence was the only way to end slavery in the United States.
In other words, only include those pieces of biographical information that are most relevant to your analysis of
Browns actions. Ask yourself this: Does this biographical info help explain Harpers Ferry or support my
argument? If the answer is no, then remove it from your paper.
As for terrorism, dont provide a textbook definition of terrorism. Do take the time to define the term ( here is
the FBIs definition of terrorism: https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/terrorism/terrorism) but
take care to define the term in a way that helps you assess Browns use of violence in the name of abolitionism.
We all agree with Brown that slavery was a profoundly immoral and evil institution. We also all agree that Brown was on the right side of history. But was Brown right to advocate violence? Keep in mind that, in 1859, hundreds of thousands of Americans believed that slavery was just, warranted, and even necessary. How, then, could Brown be so sure of himself and his causeso confident in his convictions regarding the evil of slaverythat he could condemn people to die in the name of abolitionism?
