John Brown (c. 1846 – 1847)
Few took the cause of abolitionism to such radical extents than John Brown (1800 – 1859). West Virginia (as we call it today) was home to a town called Harpes Ferry which came under attack from Brown and his forces in October of 1859. Despite his few valiant victories, Brown was eventually defeated and faced the hangman’s noose on December 2, 1859.
The Smithsonian regards this daguerreotype as the first image of the rebel, taken by Augustus Washington, the African American photographer. You might be wondering about the flag in his hand and gesture. His hand is solemnly raised to reinforce his pledge to the constitution, which affirms that all men are supposedly born free. He is simultaneously pledging himself to ending slavery. As for the flag, it is supposedly the colors of the “Subterranean Pass Way,” which was an armed counterpart of the Underground Railroad…
John Brown
