About the Author

Historian Christopher Hamner teaches at George Mason University, serves as Editor-in-Chief of Papers of the War Department, 1784-1800, and is the author of Enduring Battle: American Soldiers in Three Wars, 1776-1945.

John Brown's Raid

Primary Sources

PBS. American Experience: John Brown’s Holy War. A companion website to the PBS American Experience film John Brown’s Holy War, the site contains primary source documents along with interactive maps and timelines.

West Virginia Archives and History. "His Soul Goes Marching On”: The Life and Legacy of John Brown. The West Virginia Archives and History online exhibit “His Soul Goes Marching On”: The Life and Legacy of John Brown includes scores of transcribed primary source documents, including letters from Brown, his sons, and supporters, newspaper clippings, and speeches. It provides an especially rich and detailed picture of the years between 1850 and 1860.

University of Missouri-Kansas City. Famous Trials: John Brown. Sponsored by the University of Missouri-Kansas City, this site focuses on Brown’s imprisonment and trial, providing transcripts of trial testimony, Brown’s Provisional Constitution, and Brown’s own letters from prison.