American Carnage

What was going through Brown's head at Harpers Ferry? The story of his remarkably successful raid into Missouri gives us clues.

The second of a two-part bonus series about Brown's final days in Kansas.

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In May 1858, a proslavery gang massacred 11 unarmed Free Staters in eastern Kansas. The incident sparked outrage, and led John Brown to embark one of his most daring exploits. 

The first of a two-part bonus series about John Brown's final months in Kansas.

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What was it, exactly, about John Brown's raid at Harpers Ferry that contributed to the abolition of slavery?

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John Brown envisioned a mass slave uprising. So where were they? 

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John Brown envisioned a mass slave insurrection. So where were they?[Subscribers can get EARLY ACCESS to this full episode by throwing $3 our way at American Carnage on Patreon.]

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As John Brown and his men swing their steel broadswords on a moon-lit night, we look at the fierce debate among historians over whether even the most righteous forms of political violence can be justified.

[Subscribers can get EARLY ACCESS to Episode Four, "No Ghost of a Distinction" by throwing $3 our way at American Carnage on Patreon.]

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What would you have been willing to do to free the slaves if you woke up tomorrow in early 19th Century America?

Host and co-writer Jeff Stein is the White House economics reporter for The Washington Post.Co-writer Rowley Amato is an editor in New York City. Sophia Kurzius is our producer.Theme music by Ned Porter. “John Brown’s Body” performed by Stephen Griffith.Artwork by Elena Lacey.

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[Audio quality tends to be better on head phones; apologies for any imperfections]In a fight to the death on the cold, harsh Kansas prairie, John Brown finds himself at odds with his fellow antislavery settlers.Quick correction: We refer in this episode to the Ruffian leader as "Benjamin Frank Stringfellow." It is in fact Benjamin Franklin Stringfellow.

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