A Plea for Captain John Brown
- First published
- 1859
- Reading level
- Plain English
- Price
- Free
About the book
"A Plea for Captain John Brown" by Henry David Thoreau is an essay first delivered as a speech on October 30, 1859, two weeks after abolitionist John Brown's failed raid on Harpers Ferry. Speaking against widespread public condemnation, Thoreau defends Brown as a moral hero rather than a madman, comparing his impending execution to Christ's crucifixion. The essay challenges Americans who dismiss Brown's actions, arguing that his commitment to justice represents true sanity and courage in the face of state-sponsored injustice.
- Slavery
- Brown, John, 1800-1859
- Government, Resistance to
Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #2567. A Plea for Captain John Brown on Wikipedia.
