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Lesson

John Brown: Hero or Villain? DBQ

Grade
9–12
Published
Nov 15, 2020
Black and white illustration of soldiers in formation, with a fallen figure in front of a building amid trees.
Use this Lesson alongside theJohn Brown and Harpers Ferry Narrative to allow students to fully evaluate John Brown's approach to abolitionism. Facilitation Notes: Use available classroom technology to display a United States map so that they are within view throughout the lesson. Also, write theKey Questionon the board so that it is in view throughout the lesson.

Objectives:

  • Students will be able to evaluate the impact of John Brown’s approach to the abolition of slavery by examining primary sources to determine whether he was a hero or a villain.
  • Students will be able to apply elements of the arguments over John Brown to modern-day controversies.

Materials

Lesson Components

ActivityJohn Brown Background Essay and Timeline

Resources to help students explore the question of whether John Brown’s use of violence to achieve his goal was justified.

ActivityJohn Brown Primary Sources

Seven primary sources that showcase the various responses to John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry.

ActivityGraphic Organizer: John Brown Primary Sources

A graphic organizer to help students examine the methods John Brown chose to carry out this goal of destroying slavery and ask them to decided if he was a hero or a villain?

Lesson plan

Click a phase to open it

More Information

For additional study, see Paul Finkelman, “John Brown: America’s First Terrorist?” Prologue Magazine, 43 no. 1 (2011):16–27.

Standards

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