The most famous John Brown quotes on history, slavery, and freedom
John Brown first gained national attention in the late 1850s after he led anti-slavery volunteers during the Border War crisis. He was later captured and tried for treason, for which he was found guilty and hanged in 1859. John Brown's quotes testify to his life, character and resolve to end slavery.
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Who was John Brown? He was a prominent leader in the abolitionist movement in the decades preceding the American Civil War. His achievements helped create awareness and liberate enslaved people in the United States. John Brown's quotes showcase his determination to end slavery.
John Brown quotes
John Brown's quotes describe his character and thoughts about the politics surrounding slavery. He also talks about his thoughts on God and his love for his country. His quotes reveal his actions, shedding light on his personality and beliefs.
Famous John Brown quotes
Famous John Brown quotes comprise some of his iconic sayings on history, slavery and God. These sayings are timeless and personal, and they best define who the freedom fighter was.
- Caution, sir! I am eternally tired of hearing the word caution. It is nothing but the word of cowardice!
- I will answer anything I can with honour, but not about others.
- No man, with a man's heart in him, gets far on his way without some bitter, soul-searching disappointment. – Happy he is, who is brave enough to push on to another stage of the journey and rest where there are living springs of water, threescore, and ten palms.
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- I am slowly gaining in health and am cheerful given my approaching end, being fully persuaded that I am worth inconceivably more to hang than any other purpose.
- The intent, not the deed, is in our power; therefore, who dares greatly does so.
- Be mild with the mild, shrewd with the crafty, confiding to the honest, rough to the ruffian, and a thunderbolt to the liar. But in all this, never be unmindful of your dignity.
- The same eye cannot look up to heaven and down to earth.
- I have been whipped, as the saying is. Still, I can recover all the lost capital occasioned by that disaster by only hanging a few moments by the neck, and I feel determined to make the utmost possible out of a defeat.
- Every family should have a dog; it is like having a perpetual baby, the plaything and crony of the whole house. It keeps them all young.
- Symptoms are in the body's mother tongue; signs are in a foreign language.
- I cannot remember a night that hindered the coming day.
- These men are all talk; What is needed is action – action!
- This is a beautiful country. I had not had the chance to see it before.
John Brown quotes on slavery
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John Brown's quotes on slavery are powerful and insightful. They reflect his view and dislike of slavery. His famous quotes inspire people in the modern era to strive for a better, just society.
- I have only a short time to live, only one death to die, and I will die fighting for this cause. There will be no peace in this land until slavery ends.
- Here, before God, in the presence of these witnesses, from this time, I consecrate my life to the destruction of slavery!
- I don't think the people of the slave states will ever consider the subject of slavery in its true light till some other argument is resorted to other than moral persuasion.
- We came to free the enslaved people and only that.
- I want you to understand that I respect the rights of the poorest and weakest of coloured people, oppressed [to deny others their rights or liberty] by the slave system, just as much as I do those of the most wealthy and powerful. That is the idea that has moved me, and that alone.
- I never did intend murder, or treason, or the destruction of property, or to excite or incite enslaved people to rebellion, or to make insurrection.
- If I must forfeit my life for the furtherance of the ends of justice and mingle my blood further with the blood of my children and with the blood of millions in this slave country whose rights the wicked, cruel, and unjust enactments disregard submit, so let it be.
- I am yet too young to understand that God is any respecter of persons. To have interfered as I have done on behalf of His despised poor was not wrong but right.
John Brown's abolition quotes
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John Brown's abolitionist quotes reflect his commitment to the cause of abolition. These John Brown quotes testify to his religious beliefs and stand for the equality of all people, regardless of race.
- Whereas slavery, throughout its entire existence in the United States, is none other than the most brutal, unprovoked and unjustifiable war of one portion of its citizens against another portion, the only conditions of which are perpetual imprisonment and hopeless captivity or absolute extermination, in utter disregard and violation of those eternal and self-evident truths outlined in our Declaration of Independence.
- During the war with England, a circumstance occurred that, in the end, made him a most determined abolitionist and led him to declare or swear eternal war with slavery.
- In the first place, I deny everything but what I have all along admitted, the design on my part to free the enslaved people.… I never did intend murder, or treason, or the destruction of property, or to excite or incite enslaved people to rebellion, or to make insurrection.
- You had better all you people at the South prepare yourselves for a settlement of this question that must come up for settlement sooner than you are ready for it. The sooner you prepare, the better. You may dispose of me very quickly.
- Another trifling error of my life has been that I have always expected to secure the favour of the whites by tamely submitting to every species of indignity, contempt & wrong, instead [sic] of nobly resisting their brutal [sic] aggressions from principle & taking my place as a man.
- Had I so interfered on behalf of the rich, the powerful, the intelligent, the so-called great, or on behalf of their friends and suffered and sacrificed what I have in this interference, every man in this court would have deemed it worthy of reward rather than punishment.
What is John Brown famous for?
He was famous for his resolve to end slavery in the United States. John used radical tactics in his endeavour, resulting in his capture and execution.
Facts about John Brown
John Brown was a prominent abolitionist in the United States known for his radical tactics in the fight against slavery. Below are more lesser-known facts about him:
- John was born on 9 May 1800 in Torrington, Connecticut, to Owen Brown and Ruth Mills.
- He died by execution on 2 December 1859, aged 59, in Charles Town, Virginia.
- Brown dedicated his life to the cause of ending slavery.
- He believed that armed insurrection was necessary to overthrow the institution of slavery.
- John is best known for his raid on Harpers Ferry in October 1859, which led to his capture.
- He was deeply religious and saw his fight against slavery as a holy mission.
- Brown's actions played a role in galvanising public opinion and contributing to the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861.
What is Frederick Douglass's most famous quote?
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"If there is no struggle, there is no progress" is among famous quotes by Frederick Douglass, an American writer, social reformer, abolitionist, orator, and statesman.
Why do we say 'John Brown'?
"I'll be John Brown" is a tongue-in-cheek Southern phrase that means that the speaker is involved in a problematic situation that will cause their death. Over time the phrase softened to suggest that a person was or felt damned.
What did Frederick Douglass say about John Brown?
Douglass extolled Brown as a martyr to the cause of liberty in his 1881 oration. He continued by saying that John Brown didn't lose his life in vain as he helped lead the abolition liberation army.
Above are some famous John Brown quotes. They cover topics like history, slavery, and freedom. John Brown was renowned for his role as a leader in the American abolitionist movement that sought to end slavery in the United States.
Yen.com.gh recently published a comprehensive list of the most inspiring Black History Month quotes. Black History Month recognises the contributions of African Americans to the United States.
Black History Month quotes capture the achievements and wisdom of some iconic leaders and influencers in the Black community. But with such an extensive list, which are the most inspiring Black History Month quotes?
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