John Brown

W. E. B. Du Bois

Jul 2022 · DigiCat

About this ebook

This book is a biography of John Brown, an American abolitionist leader who as he first reached national prominence for his radical abolitionism and fighting in Bleeding Kansas, was eventually captured and executed for a failed incitement of a slave rebellion at Harpers Ferry preceding the American Civil War.

About the author

W. E. B. Du Bois, born William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, was a pioneering African American sociologist, historian, and civil rights activist, whose scholarly works and advocacy profoundly influenced the fight against racial discrimination in the early 20th century. Born on February 23, 1868, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Du Bois's academic brilliance led him to become the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1895. His intellectual legacy includes seminal works such as 'The Souls of Black Folk' (1903), a cornerstone in African American literature, and 'Black Reconstruction in America' (1935), which challenged the prevailing interpretations of the Reconstruction era. In 'John Brown' (1909), Du Bois offers a historical biography of the white abolitionist John Brown, portraying him as a militant crusader for racial equality. Du Bois's nuanced exploration of Brown's life and his participation in the failed Harper's Ferry raid underscores the complexities of racial politics and the potential for radical action. Du Bois's literary style combines rigorous scholarship with a passionate advocacy for civil rights, social justice, and African American empowerment. His work remains influential in the fields of sociology, African American studies, and U.S. history. Du Bois was a founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and continued his advocacy for civil rights until his death in Ghana on August 27, 1963.