Diana L. Arias
November 4, 2012
U.S. History to 1877
The Role of John Brown in the Civil War
You know how they say for every action there is an equal reaction, well that holds very true in John Brown’s case. For every action he took against slavery there was an equal reaction, or a far worse reaction from his opponents (pro-slavery supporters). What led John Brown to his actions in trying to end slavery? What was the equal or far worse reaction from his pro-slavery opponents? This first action was not taken by John Brown but by Congress and the action was not anti-slavery but pro-slavery the action was The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, was passed by the United States Congress on September 18th 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850 between Southern slave-holding interests and Northern free soils. This was one of the most controversial acts of the 1850 compromise and heightened Northern fears of a slave rebellion. It declared that all runaway slaves were, upon capture, to be returned to their owners/masters. Abolitionists nicknamed it the "Bloodhound Law" for the dogs that were used to track down runaway slaves. After this was passed by Congress, there was an equal reaction on part of John Brown, he founded a militant group to prevent the capture of runaway slaves, and he called it The League of Gileadites. In the Bible the Mount Gilead was the place where only the bravest of Israelites would gather together to face an invading enemy. Brown on leaving Springfield in 1850, Brown instructed the League of Gileadites to act "quickly, quietly, and efficiently" to protect slaves that escaped to Springfield. It is worth noting that from Brown's founding of the League of Gileadites onward, not one person was ever taken back into slavery from Springfield, Massachusetts. During the time that Brown was in Springfield he was not aware that he would set up his