Discussion 13 Topic: John Brown - Was He Larger Than Life

Discussion 13 Topic John Brownjohn Brown Was A Larger Than Life Fig

John Brown was a larger than life figure of the pre-Civil War period. His life and actions provoked fierce controversy between North and South. Make an historical argument in response to this question: “Was John Brown a hero? Agree or Disagree. Begin your answer like this : “I agree/disagree John Brown was a hero for the following reasons:”

First, (50 words or more) Source: (can be hyperlink or Author)

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Background: Looking back, it isn't difficult to see the powder keg the country was sitting on in the years prior to the Civil War. Consider one of the burning issues of the day – should slavery be allowed in any of the new states? While traditional history lessons focus on the issue of slavery as an argument between the tolerant north and the intolerant South, the conflict and tensions over slavery were much deeper than surface political stances. By the 1850s, slavery was a divisive issue pulling the nation apart. While the battles in the 1850s were over policy and not physical, they did have far-reaching implications. How would the new Western territories be dealt with? Would the states carved out of these lands be slave or free? Who would make this decision? The Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 were attempts to resolve these conflicts. Even with the compromises, the debate over slavery continued to divide the North and South. The abolitionist movement in the North against the pro-slavery advocates of the South intensified. The tensions continued to grow, and rumors of Southern secession from the Union sounded more and more realistic. With the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, Civil War was looming.