Welcome to another edition of Time Sucks Short Sucks. I'm Dan Cummins and today I'll be sharing the story of a 19th century evangelical Christian who took his religious convictions incredibly seriously.

A man who truly believed he was an instrument of God brought to this world to strike a death blow to slavery in the United States, a spiritual assignment he considered a sacred obligation.

I'm talking about old John Brown, a fiery abolitionist, revolutionary, and all-around bad

motherfucker. A man who took the golden rule and the all men are created equal maxim from the

Declaration of Independence, deathly, seriously. A man willing to dish out death and sacrifice his own life

to bring about what he knew was right,

the end of slavery in America.

His raid on the federal armory at Harper's Ferry

is considered by many to be the spark

that went on to ignite the Civil War.

Words and ideas can change the world.

I hated her, but I wanted to love my mother.

I have a dream.

I'll plead not guilty right now.

Your only chance is to leave with us.

In the years leading up to his Harper's Ferry raid,

Brown would capture America's attention multiple

times for incredibly daring acts of violence carried out against slaveholders and other supporters

of the inhuman institution. One of these acts occurred almost a year before his infamous raid

when John Brown organized the lesser-known, but still wildly inspirational fuck-you move

against the pro-slavery southern

states. Brown and his financial backers from the north, a group of abolitionists referred to as

...