Bleeding Kansas | His Soul Goes Marching On | 4

American History Tellers

Wondery

History, Education For Kids, Kids & Family, Society & Culture

4.7 • 18.3K Ratings

🗓️ 5 May 2021

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

On October 17th, 1859, John Brown was barricaded inside the federal armory at Harpers Ferry with his hostages and his remaining followers. His attempt to lead an antislavery insurrection had failed. A detachment of U.S. Marines led by Colonel Robert E. Lee had the armory surrounded. For the radical abolitionist, it was his last stand.

But after he was captured and sentenced to death, Northern abolitionists rallied to Brown’s cause. By the time he ascended the scaffold and prepared to meet the hangman’s rope, Brown had become a martyr and folk hero. His bold, violent actions polarized Americans on both sides of the slavery debate, and hurtled the nation closer to the brink of the Civil War.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, prime members, you can listen to American History Tellers add free on Amazon Music,
0:05.6	download the app today.
0:18.0	Imagine it's the pre-dawn hours of October 18th, 1859 in Harper's Ferry, Virginia.
0:25.0	The streets are thronged with rowdy militiamen.
0:28.0	You're a first lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, and you recently arrived in town as part of a detachment of 90 Marines.
0:35.0	Now you and your fellow soldiers are surrounding the Armory Engine House, where John Brown and his men have barricaded themselves.
0:43.0	Your commander, Colonel Robert E. Lee, confers nearby with the head of a Virginia militia regiment.
0:49.0	Of course we hope that Brown will surrender peacefully, but I think we all know that's unlikely.
0:54.0	I expect we'll have to take the building by force.
0:56.0	We need to make a plan of attack. Will your men lead the charge?
1:00.0	The militia leader looks taken aback.
1:03.0	My men are volunteers with wives and children for God's sake. Your men are paid to do this sort of thing.
1:09.0	Lee throws up his hands and frustration.
1:11.0	Fine, just giving you the option. If you ask me, this is a state matter.
1:16.0	Lee turns to you and you stand a little straighter.
1:19.0	Do you want the honor of taking out Brown?
1:21.0	I would be delighted, sir, then pick your storming party.
1:26.0	You walk straight toward your most experienced men. They look alert and battle ready, despite it being the dead of night.
1:33.0	You can't think of a better use of their training than defending government property from the deranged leader of a would-be slave rebellion.
1:39.0	Alright, men, those are double-batten doors, and we can bet that Brown has them heavily fortified. We'll use these.
1:47.0	You point to a box of heavy sledgehammers, taken from one of the armory workshops in anticipation of this moment.
1:54.0	Your men reach down to gather them up.
	...

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