Fresh Air

John Brown, Abraham Lincoln & The Fight To End Slavery

10.19.2020 - By NPRPlay

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Historian H.W. Brands' new book, 'The Zealot and the Emancipator' looks at two very different 19th century leaders, John Brown and Abraham Lincoln. Brown was a militant abolitionist who embraced violence and was hanged after he tried to spark an insurrection at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. President Lincoln resisted conflict as long as possible, hoping laws and reason would keep Southern states in the Union, and eventually bring an end to human bondage.

Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews 'Martin Eden,' an adaptation of the Jack London novel.

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