"John Brown, the Insurgent" - Alexandria Gazette Article, November 21, 1859

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Courtesy of Library of Congress, "John Brown, the Insurgent," Alexandria Gazette, 21 November 1859

Description 

This article from the Alexandria Gazette focuses on the testimony of a "Mr. Pennybacker," who recounts his knowledge of John Brown and his actions in Kansas. The purpose of highlighting this testimony was to try to show Brown as a "highwayman and robber" as opposed to the "martyr" of the abolitionist movement. 

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Source-Dependent Questions

• Why do you think Mr. Pennybacker makes a point to say that "There was not a slave within forty miles of Pottawattomie Creek?"
• Pennybacker gives accounts of several attacks by John Brown and his men. How do you think Pennybacker's accounts affected how the public viewed Brown?

Citation Information

"John Brown, the Insurgent," Alexandria Gazette, 21 November 1859. Courtesy of Library of Congress