Question

“I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood.” — John Brown, 1859
What does this quote suggest about how John Brown viewed compromise over slavery?



Why might this statement have alarmed many white Southerners in 1859–1860?



Predict: How could ideas like this influence reactions to the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860?

use simple words and 1-2 sentences each question

Answer 1

1) He meant that slavery could not be fixed by compromise or laws—only by violent struggle and bloodshed, so compromise was useless.

2) White Southerners were scared because it sounded like abolitionists wanted slave revolts and violence that would threaten their lives, homes, and property.

3) Such ideas made Southerners fear Lincoln would support the end of slavery by force, helping push many states to secede and prepare for war after his 1860 election.