John Brown was an American abolitionist who advocated insurrection as a means to end slavery in the United States. For his activities outside the law, Brown was accused of treason against the Commonwealth of Virginia, found guilty and hanged.
Prior to his death and after his sentencing, a large number of prominent figures raised money and wrote speeches in his defense. One of this people was Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson presented Brown as a common, everyday man who had strong ideals and felt compelled to act upon them. This was intended to present Brown as an admirable man and to invoke sympathy among the people by identifying themselves with him.
