One Of America’s Most Controversial Revolutionaries Lies In Upstate NY

As one of the first established areas of what would become the United States of America, Upstate New York has been a breeding ground for future revolutionaries who would eventually fight back against the tyrannical British Empire.

When we think of revolutionaries from this part of the country, our minds tend to wander to the heroes of the American revolution, but one of the Civil War's most influential (and controversial) figures has his roots set deep in New York's upstate region.

Who Was John Brown?

Born in Torrington, CT on May 9th, 1800, John Brown was a staunch puritan. As a practicing minister, he believed that slavery was the most evil act man had devised, and worked tirelessly to end it's reign. His work led him to the Adirondacks, where he purchased a plot of land in North Elba, NY in 1848, and began helping escaped slaves purchase land and establish farms in the area.

Brown's fame did not come from his work in the Underground Railroad, however. He became tired of working in the shadows, and began to plan for a tangible attack on the institution of slavery. After moving to the Kansas territory in 1855 (in the midst of the Kansas Civil War, or "Bleeding Kansas"), he orchestrated a massive raid on Harper's Ferry with the hopes of stealing the entire armory and freeing every single slave in the area.

Get our free mobile app

The Death of John Brown

Unfortunately, the raid did not entirely go as planned. They held onto the Armory from October 16th to the 18th of 1859 before their forces were overwhelmed, and Brown was taken prisoner. He was hung on December 2nd of the same year.

He was laid to rest at his property in North Elba, NY, where his home still stands today. You can visit the historical site at 115 John Brown Road, Lake Placid, NY.