Dr Stephen Oates on John Brown

gem

2nd Lieutenant
Joined
Oct 26, 2012
Dr Stephen Oates author of To Purge This Land with Blood - a John Brown Biography answers questions about John Brown.
His book originally published in 1970 is considered by many to be the definitive biography of Brown, a balanced assessment that captures Brown in all his complexity.


Please note the purpose of this thread is not to have a debate about Brown, we have plenty of those. The purpose of this thread is to share Oates Answers to the following questions. (each answer is around 2 minutes)

Dr. Stephen B. Oates on John Brown at Harpers Ferry, June 30, 1994

"Dr. Oates, could you tell me please, what impact, in your judgement, did John Brown have upon the nation with regard to the slavery issue?"

"Why did Brown choose violence? Others, like Frederick Douglass, felt that there were other means to end slavery. But why did Brown choose violence?"

"Would you please comment on John Brown’s relationship with his God and his belief in the Bible?"

"Would you rate John Brown in American history as a failure, as a success, or as an enigma?"

"Why do you feel that John Brown still lives in the American conscientious 135 years after his raid?"
 
Last edited:
Back
Top