John Brown Today

Louis DeCaro Jr.
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John Brown Today Podcast

John Brown Today is a podcast devoted to historical and contemporary themes relating to the abolitionist John Brown (1800-59), the controversial antislavery and antiracist freedom fighter. John Brown Today is hosted by Louis A. DeCaro Jr., a Brown biographer and researcher, the most prolific author on the John Brown theme since the abolitionist's death in 1859. John Brown Today engages a range of themes from history and biography to popular culture and other contemporary themes.

  1. 12/04/2023

    The Legend of John Brown's Baby Kiss Revisited

    In this episode, Lou does a deep dive evaluation of the legend of John Brown kissing a black baby on the day of his execution, a story that has been enshrined in poetry and paintings. Sharing his research on the topic, Lou considers the evidence and draws some interesting conclusions suggesting that this legend may have more than a core of truth.Check out the video version on my YouTube channel here.Guest music (closing): Aaron Lieberman, "Move Up to the Mountains" (YouTube)

    39 min

  2. 05/02/2023

    "From John Brown to James Brown": A Conversation with Ed Maliskas

    In this episode, Lou shares a conversation with author Ed Maliskas, a musician, clergyman, and researcher, the author of John Brown to James Brown: The Little Farm Where Liberty Budded, Blossomed, and Boogied (2016). In this fascinating discussion, Ed talks about coming to learn about the old Kennedy Farm in Maryland where John Brown and his raiders lived prior to the Harper's Ferry raid in the summer and early fall of 1859. However, as Ed learned, the farm, often referred to as t...

    47 min

  3. 17/01/2023

    The Sellout of Harper's Ferry Station: The Difficult Case of Heyward Shepherd

    In this episode, Lou takes on the difficult theme of Heyward Shepherd, the black porter who was mortally wounded by John Brown's men during the Harper's Ferry raid, on the night of October 16, 1859. Reviewing the initial incidents of the raid, Lou considers the conventional narrative of Shepherd's demise, but then takes a sharp left turn: was Heyward Shepherd really a victim, or did his own actions instigate his shooting? And what was Heyward Shepherd trying to do when he was shot by on...

    44 min

  4. 29/12/2022

    Reaction & Reflection: David Blight on John Brown - - "John Brown Terrorist or Hero?"

    After an extended hiatus, Lou returns with a reaction & reflection upon the YouTube video, "John Brown: Terrorist or Hero?" which features a short lecture by the eminent historian David Blight. John Brown Today features the audio version here, and listeners can also view the reaction & reflection video here (or copy this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV6GOH8Pslc)

    52 min

  5. 24/10/2022

    What Did Blacks Really Think of John Brown? The Question of "Sambo Mistakes" (Part 2)

    In Part 2 of this two-part episode, Lou reflects upon the question of white allies, particularly in the case of John Brown's story. What did black leaders and other associates really think of John Brown? Recalling Brown's devotion to black liberation and notable devotion to human equality, Lou suggests nevertheless that human interaction is by nature complex and even Brown might grate upon his black associates. How should these tensions be understood? Was he a paternalistic racist as so...

    28 min

  6. 24/10/2022

    What Did Blacks Really Think of John Brown? Kudos & Conflicts (Part 1)

    In Part 1 of "What Did Blacks Really Think of John Brown?" Lou reflects upon the question of white allies, particularly in the case of John Brown's story. What did black leaders and other associates really think of John Brown? Recalling Brown's devotion to black liberation and notable devotion to human equality, Lou suggests nevertheless that human interaction is by nature complex and even Brown might grate upon his black associates. How should these tensions be understood? Was he a pat...

    31 min

  7. 09/09/2022

    Questioning John Brown’s Sanity: A Historical Thread Considered

    Many people in the United States, especially (but not exclusively) white people, tend to think of John Brown as someone who was "crazy." In this episode, Lou surveys what he calls a historical "thread" regarding the alleged insanity of Brown. Beginning with affidavits filed in Virginia in 1859 in an attempt by friends and relatives in Ohio to spare Brown's life, as well as Republican insanity rhetoric designed to dissociate Brown from their party, it is clear there is otherwise no histo...

    49 min

  8. 25/07/2022

    John Brown’s Trial: The “Lost” Narrative of George H. Hoyt

    In this episode, Lou presents a narrative written by John Brown's young lawyer, George H. Hoyt, written only a few years after the abolitionist's hanging. Hoyt went to join John Brown in Charlestown, Virginia (today West Va.) and support his lawyers, but really went as a spy for Brown's supporters in the North who wanted to launch a rescue. But not only was the rescue impossible by the time that Hoyt arrived in Virginia, but Brown did not want to escape. Hoyt thus became part of t...

    57 min
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About

John Brown Today is a podcast devoted to historical and contemporary themes relating to the abolitionist John Brown (1800-59), the controversial antislavery and antiracist freedom fighter. John Brown Today is hosted by Louis A. DeCaro Jr., a Brown biographer and researcher, the most prolific author on the John Brown theme since the abolitionist's death in 1859. John Brown Today engages a range of themes from history and biography to popular culture and other contemporary themes.

Information

  • Creator
    Louis DeCaro Jr.
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2023
  • Episodes
    44
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024 John Brown Today
  • Show Website
    John Brown Today

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