John Brown was known for his militant tactics in the fight against slavery while Frederick Douglass, the slave who became a powerful orator & writer, used the power of words and alliances to end that barbarous practice. Although the two men shared the same goal, their approaches were vastly different, and their relationship was often strained. In fact, John Brown's actions almost got Frederick Douglass killed.
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Frederick Douglass, who first encountered John Brown in 1847, had a complex relationship with the passionate abolitionist throughout the late 1850s. Brown was not an easy person to love, but everything changed when he met his fate on the gallows.Despite a mixture of admiration and ambivalence, Douglass recognized Brown's visionary nature.
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The relationship between John Brown and Frederick Douglass was marked by Brown’s militant and violent stance against slavery, which greatly influenced Douglass’ own radicalism in the 1850s. However, Douglass remained wary of Brown due to his secretive nature and strategic ineptness, especially when Brown implored Douglass to join the Harpers Ferry raid.
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Their first meeting occurred in 1847 at Brown’s home in Springfield, Massachusetts, bringing together two renowned abolitionists of the 19th century. While Douglass was already famous for his background as an enslaved person and his escape from captivity, it was Brown, a white man with failed business endeavors and unwavering religious conviction, who appeared more determined to put an end to the cruel institution of slavery.
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@Deglassco both inspiring men. I figure we can use John Brown's example as a case that direct action works
@bigpEE I agree. He was a man of action!