Brown, John

Cultural  

1. An abolitionist of the nineteenth century who sought to free the slaves by military force. After leading several attacks in Kansas, he planned to start an uprising among the slaves. In 1859, he and a small band of followers took over a federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, in Virginia. A detachment of marines reclaimed the arsenal and captured Brown, who was tried for treason, convicted, and hanged.

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Robert E. Lee, soon to be commanding general of the main Confederate army, led the marines who captured Brown.

In death, Brown became a martyr for abolitionists. “John Brown's Body,” a popular song in the North during the Civil War, had this refrain: “John Brown's body lies a-mold'ring in the grave; His soul goes marching on.”

Example Sentences

The slaves were accompanied by an associate of Brown, John Kagi, whose sister, Barbara Mayhew, lived in the cabin with her husband, Allen.

From Washington Times • Oct. 3, 2020

His account of Strang’s rise and fall is littered with thumbnail histories of 19th-century cross-dressing, John Brown, John Deere, the Brontës, bloomers, the Underground Railroad, mesmerism, newspaper exchanges, the Illuminati and much else.

From New York Times • Jul. 14, 2020

The first exhibition included some heavyweight names from the contemporary art world: Cecily Brown, John Currin, Makiko Kudo, Richard Prince and others.

From Washington Post • Oct. 9, 2019

It has subsequently been called the "Baggy Woodstock" and was the second-to-last gig to feature the band's classic line-up of Ian Brown, John Squire, Gary "Mani" Mounfield and Alan "Reni" Wren.

From BBC • Oct. 12, 2012

Brown, John, Kentucky delegate in Congress, allied to Wilkinson; he and Madison have intercourse with Gardoqui; letter advising independence for Kentucky; disunionist, not corrupt; misrepresents action of Continental Congress.

From The Winning of the West, Volume 3 The Founding of the Trans-Alleghany Commonwealths, 1784-1790 by Roosevelt, Theodore