John Brown Today

In this episode, Lou does a deep dive evaluation of the legend of John Brown kissing a black baby on the day of his execution,  a story that has been enshrined in poetry and paintings.  Sharing his research on the topic, Lou considers the evidence and draws some interesting conclusions suggesting that this legend may have more than a core of truth.Check out the video version on my YouTube channel here.Guest music (closing): Aaron Lieberman, "Move Up to the Mountains" (YouTube)

In this episode, Lou shares a conversation with author Ed Maliskas, a musician, clergyman, and researcher, the author of John Brown to James Brown: The Little Farm Where Liberty Budded, Blossomed, and Boogied (2016).  In this fascinating discussion, Ed talks about coming to learn about the old Kennedy Farm in Maryland where John Brown and his raiders lived prior to the Harper's Ferry raid in the summer and early fall of 1859.  However, as Ed learned, the farm, often referred to as the "John Brown farm" (not to be confused with John Brown's own home and farm in Lake Placid, N.Y.) has unfolding importance to black history--a site considered precious to the influential black fraternal order of  Elks in the 20th century, and later a popular R&B dance venue where many memorable black artists performed from the late 1950s until the mid-1960s, the last performer being the Godfather of Soul, James Brown.  Who would think that a humble little farm in Maryland would have such a historical pedigree--indeed, Ed Maliskas argues it was essentially the birthplace of the southern Civil Rights movement! Musical wallpaper for this episode:American Frontiers by Aaron Kenny (YouTube)New World A'Comin and Harlem by Duke Ellington (performed by the Cincinnati    Symphony Orchestra)And from some of the artists who performed at the Kennedy Farm:Sadie Mae by Sammy Fitzhugh & His MoroccansFeel Alright by Jimmy DotsonHurt Me to My Heart by Faye AdamsMoney Honey by Clyde McPhatter & the DriftersParty Lights by Claudine ClarkMystery Train by Junior ParkerShow Me Your Monkey by Kenny HamberIt's Just a Matter of Time by Brook Benton

In this episode, Lou takes on the difficult theme of Heyward Shepherd, the black porter who was mortally wounded by John Brown's men during the Harper's Ferry raid, on the night of October 16, 1859.  Reviewing the initial incidents of the raid, Lou considers the conventional narrative of Shepherd's demise, but then takes a sharp left turn: was Heyward Shepherd really a victim, or did his own actions instigate his shooting? And what was Heyward Shepherd trying to do when he was shot by one of Brown's raiders? The conclusion drawn from looking at the evidence may surprise you, and although it's an exceedingly sad story, it is always better that the truth of the incident be known--especially because it is also useful in understanding the developments in later years that typified the resurgence white supremacy after the demise of Reconstruction. To no surprise, Heyward Shepherd has a part in that story too.Guest music: "Mystery Train" by Michael J. Sheehy, from the album, "Ill Gotten Gains"

After an extended hiatus, Lou returns with a reaction & reflection upon the YouTube video, "John Brown: Terrorist or Hero?" which features a short lecture by the eminent historian David Blight.  John Brown Today features the audio version here, and listeners can also view the reaction & reflection video here (or copy this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV6GOH8Pslc)

In Part 2 of this two-part episode, Lou reflects upon the question of white allies, particularly in the case of John Brown's story. What did black leaders and other associates really think of John Brown?  Recalling Brown's devotion to black liberation and notable devotion to human equality, Lou suggests nevertheless that human interaction is by nature complex and even Brown might grate upon his black associates. How should these tensions be understood? Was he a paternalistic racist as some have charged in recent times? Did he presume too much despite being a notable and respected white ally in the struggle for justice?  Regardless, would-be allies and those otherwise interested in the theme of black-white alliances and intercultural alliances, in general, may find this historical reflection of interest.Guest theme music: "Progressive Moments" by Ugonna Onyekwe (YouTube Audio Library)

In Part 1 of "What Did Blacks Really Think of John Brown?" Lou reflects upon the question of white allies, particularly in the case of John Brown's story. What did black leaders and other associates really think of John Brown?  Recalling Brown's devotion to black liberation and notable devotion to human equality, Lou suggests nevertheless that human interaction is by nature complex and even Brown might grate upon his black associates. How should these tensions be understood? Was he a paternalistic racist as some have charged in recent times? Did he presume too much despite being a notable and respected white ally in the struggle for justice?  Regardless, would-be allies and those otherwise interested in the theme of black-white alliances and intercultural alliances, in general, may find this historical reflection of interest.Guest theme music: "Progressive Moments" by Ugonna Onyekwe (YouTube Audio Library)

Many people in the United States, especially (but not exclusively) white people, tend to think of John Brown as someone who was "crazy." In this episode, Lou surveys what he calls a historical "thread" regarding the alleged insanity of Brown.  Beginning with affidavits filed in Virginia in 1859 in an attempt by friends and relatives in Ohio to spare Brown's life, as well as Republican insanity rhetoric designed to dissociate Brown from their party, it is clear there is otherwise no historical evidence for the insanity notion. In the twentieth century, however, academics promoted Brown's alleged insanity, and the notion was disseminated in popular culture.   In the late twentieth century, although scholars began to back away from this unwarranted notion, it was replaced by notions of Brown being manic. Lou traces this thread through three publications by Robert McGlone, Kenneth Carroll, and Tony Horwitz. He also suggests secular inclinations among scholars make them inclined to attribute mental instability to Brown's fundamentalist religious beliefs. Guest music: "Climbing" by Reed MathisHey friends, click on this link to get your JOHN BROWN TODAY Podcast Mug!

In this episode, Lou presents a narrative written by John Brown's young lawyer, George H. Hoyt, written only a few years after the abolitionist's hanging.  Hoyt went to join John Brown in Charlestown, Virginia (today West Va.) and support his lawyers, but really went as a spy for Brown's supporters in the North who wanted to launch a rescue. But not only was the rescue impossible by the time that Hoyt arrived in Virginia, but Brown did not want to escape.  Hoyt thus became part of the drama of Brown's trial and last days, a story that can be found in more detail in Lou's book, Freedom's Dawn: The Last Days of John Brown in Virginia (2015).The Hoyt narrative is provided in ten short segments that somewhat follow the serialized narrative that appeared in the Leavenworth Conservative in 1867, as well as a kind of epilogue that Hoyt published in The Kansas Weekly Tribune in 1870.  The narrative, written from a firsthand eyewitness reveals a great deal about Brown's trial and the supposed "fair trial" that he received at the hands of a court dominated by slaveholders and guided by Sen. James Mason of Virginia, the architect of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 and one of the ringleaders of the slaveholders' betrayal that would follow in 1861 following Lincoln's election.Guest music: "Bittersweet" by Silent PartnerHey friends, click on this link to get your JOHN BROWN TODAY Podcast Mug!Feedback?https://www.speakpipe.com/JOHNBROWNTODAY

In this episode, Lou responds to the comments of a thoughtful but critical podcast listener who has well-stated reasons for asking, "why John Brown?"  The question is a good one and Lou starts with personal and scholarly reflections on a range of views of Brown that range from anti-Brown to non-admirer.  Then, Lou shares the podcast listener's comments and attempts to make a response that hopefully is helpful to this friendly critic as well as others with similar thoughts on the abolitionist and his legacy.  Guest music:"Climbing" by Reed Mathis"American Frontiers" by Aaron KennyHey friends, click on this link to get your JOHN BROWN TODAY Podcast Mug!

In this episode, Lou does a deep dive into the story of William Leeman, the youngest of John Brown's Harper's Ferry raiders.  From his origins in Maine to Kansas and his enlistment in John Brown's army, we look at the story of a young man with feet of iron and clay, whose death in Virginia in 1859 resonates with the racist gun violence and mass killings that grip our nation today.   A special note of thanks is due H. Scott Wolfe, for providing his extensive research on Leeman, the work of many years and many miles.  This episode is produced in his honor.Guest music by madIRFAN from PixabayHey friends, click on this link to get your JOHN BROWN TODAY Podcast Mug!

In this episode, Lou is interviewed by Dr. Chris Dost, biblical scholar and pastor of the Northville Baptist Church in New Milford, Connecticut.  This audio is excerpted from an interview recorded on July 10, 2021.Closing tune: "Amazing Grace" by Cooper CannellHey friends, click on this link to get your JOHN BROWN TODAY Podcast Mug!Feedback?https://www.speakpipe.com/JOHNBROWNTODAY

In this episode, Lou provides a slice of biography, zooming in on John Brown's personal and economic challenges as a frontier entrepreneur and his often forgotten comeback in the early 1840s. While overlooked by unstudied and prejudiced scholars, Brown actually bounced back in the mid-1840s and distinguished himself as one of the leading experts on fine sheep and wool. Looking at Brown's attempt to intervene on behalf of wool growers in the 1840s, we get further insight into Brown's inclination to defend the underdog.  This observation provides a way to revisit the bias and prejudice that Brown's legacy has long faced both from the academy and Hollywood--a bias that we are still pushing back against today. The story of John Brown is not complicated: Brown is very consistent, and it is no surprise that his inclination to defend the downcast and the vulnerable would be a theme that flows from wool to slavery.This episode provides a special interlude and conclusion with special music by The Westerlies, featuring their song, "Burden Laid Down."  Visit the Westerlies website at westerliesmusic.com.Hey friends, click on this link to get your JOHN BROWN TODAY Podcast Mug!

To begin the fourth cycle of John Brown Today, Lou reflects upon the life and contribution of Brown biographer, Oswald Garrison Villard, whose life of John Brown was first published in 1910. As Lou argues, Villard did a great favor to historical study and John Brown students by commissioning extensive research for his work--research that he could not even utilize to the fullest extent himself. On the other hand, Villard depreciated John Brown as a restless and principled murderer, used his economic clout to the disadvantage of W.E.B. DuBois, another biographer of Brown, and fueled more hostile biographies that followed.  As Lou discusses in this episode, Villard did so for reasons both ideological and familial. Hey friends, click on this link to get your JOHN BROWN TODAY Podcast Mug!

In this episode, Lou reflects upon the critical thesis of the late Gabriel Moran (1935-2021), who indefatigably pointed out  the distinction between "America" as a dream (and as a vast continental land mass) and The United States of America as a nation. Following Gabriel's lead, Lou reflects upon the linguistic and political challenges of confusing the two, something that is done as much by rightwingers as by critics of racism, including such eminent voices as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. What is the significance of confusing the USA with "America"? Lou explores this theme, observing that, interestingly, John Brown typically did not make this error.  He was quite aware that the problem with slavery and racism against which he struggled was a problem of The United States of America.  This episode is dedicated to the memory of Gabriel Moran, teacher and friend.--LDIf you're interested in exploring Gabriel's thinking about "America," see his book, America in the United States and the United States in America: A Philosophical Essay (iUniverse, 2018).Hey friends, click on this link to get your JOHN BROWN TODAY Podcast Mug!

In this episode, Lou revisits the Harper's Ferry raid of October 16, 1859, presents some preliminary thoughts on the contemporary perspective and then addresses a number of key points, along with a "January 6th" epilogue.  The key points addressed in this extended episode are:1. What basically characterized John Brown’s earlier Virginia plan and how it was changed in the 1850s, and why it was changed?2. Why did John Brown choose to capture the federal armory and what did he intend when he did so?3. To what degree did John Brown’s movement in Harper’s Ferry attract local enslaved people?4. Was the raid on Harper’s Ferry an ill-fated venture that had no real chance of success?5. In what ways has our understanding of the HF raid been misshapen, and how has it  come down to us?John Brown's truth is ours too.  He did his part. Let's do our part too and save our nation from rightwing rebellion, which is the spirit of the slaveholders. Hey friends, click on this link to get your JOHN BROWN TODAY Podcast Mug!Feedback?https://www.speakpipe.com/JOHNBROWNTODAY

In this episode Lou tries to answer the question, "Did John Brown celebrate Christmas?"  This leads us to consider both Thanksgiving and Christmas in the antebellum era, what they represented to the North and South, respectively, and their social significance. Then, taking a quick tour of the archives, Lou pulls some different vignettes relating John Brown to Christmas.Merry Christmas to those who observe the day, and happy holidays and happy new year to all!Hey friends, click on this link to get your JOHN BROWN TODAY Podcast Mug!

In this episode, Lou reflects upon the 1859 words of abolitionist orator Wendell Phillips, that the hanged John Brown had "given this nation a text."  Lou considers how W.E.B. DuBois used the abolitionist as a text in writing his biography John Brown in 1909. Almost seventy years later, the leftist historian Albert Fried  likewise did so in the writing of his historiographic memoir, John Brown's Journey (1978). Both writers demonstrated that Wendell Phillips was correct:  Brown has given this nation a text, a fact that will not lessen in time.Hey friends, click on this link to get your JOHN BROWN TODAY Podcast Mug!

In this episode, Lou reflects upon the "moral core" of Brown and Lincoln in juxtaposition. Mainly considering how these men are viewed in terms of religion and in regard to their roles in human liberation, Lou argues that Lincoln is neither a prophet nor a martyr, and that he is bested in both categories by Brown.  This episode is dedicated to the annual remembrance of John Brown's hanging on December 2, 1859.  Hey friends, click on this link to get your JOHN BROWN TODAY Podcast Mug!

In this episode Lou talks with Dan Morrison, a journalist and artist who lives in Torrington, Connecticut, the birthplace of John Brown.  The basis of the conversation is Dan's recent explainer video, "Was John Brown a Terrorist?" an Explainer Video which succinctly and effectively addresses a theme that so many have distorted and skewed.  Dan is a listener of John Brown Today but he does a lot of thinking about the Old Man on his own, and he's working on a project that will interest JBT listeners for sure.  This episode closes with Dan's Explainer Video soundtrack, but you will be able to view and listen to it on YouTube here:https://youtu.be/ysIo0yyHxBc.Hey friends, click on this link to get your JOHN BROWN TODAY Podcast Mug!

In this episode, Lou discusses the story of Mary Ellen Pleasant, an African American woman who has been lauded for her civil rights activities in 19th century San Francisco, but--more important to this podcast--claimed to have been a confidant and supporter of John Brown. Along the way, Lou shares a number of examples of stories and reports that connected claimants to the John Brown story, some of them obviously false, others arguably true, and some in-between, with a mix of the credible and interesting with fabrications and farce.  This is especially the case with Mary Ellen Pleasant whose claims, made before she died in 1904, to having aided and supported John Brown, particularly with a gift of $30,000, have been renewed in the press in recent years, winning Pleasant a place in Black History as an ally of John Brown.  Unfortunately, whatever her legacy entailed, her place in the John Brown story is quite questionable, and in "Mary Ellen Pleasant and 'The Rule of Credible Evidence,'" Lou will explain why.PS Happy 162nd  Harper's Ferry Raid Anniversary, Browniacs! Hey friends, click on this link to get your JOHN BROWN TODAY Podcast Mug!