A House Divided: John Brown’s Birthplace and the Path to Freedom

Summary

On December 2, 1859, John Brown was hanged following his conviction for murder, slave insurrection, and treason resulting from his raid on a federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia two months prior. Brown anticipated and hoped that his actions might spur a rebellion that would spread throughout the South bringing freedom to all enslaved persons. To some people he was a murderous lunatic; to others he was a martyr for the abolitionist cause; and, to many he was a hero whose actions sparked the onset of the Civil War. Brown was willing to commit such extreme acts, including the deaths of his two sons because of his belief that slavery should be abolished at all costs.

Following his execution, John Brown’s birthplace in the hills of northwestern Connecticut became a pilgrimage destination for those who revered the man and the principles he championed. Although the house itself was destroyed by fire in 1918, the site has remained a destination for sightseers and admirers and is now a Connecticut Archaeological Preserve. In order to better understand Brown’s motivations, one must examine his early life and the people and ideas that that most influenced him.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 20126