PBS has made a film exploring the illustrious and radical abolitionist John Brown. Called “John Brown’s Holy War,” the film explores John Brown’s life and crusade for abolition of slavery, asking if the man was “…a martyr or a madman, a fanatic or a hero…”. PBS provides a webpage advertising the film and also giving an overview of John Brown’s life, including time lines and an interactive map. A teacher’s guide is also included.
20
Jun
08
Old John Brown
Posted by Published in Antebellum (1840-1861), Lesson Plans, Maps, Video Themes: Slavery & Abolition
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With all due respect, while “John Brown’s Holy War” is beautifully filmed, its historical content is terrible–skewed, weighed down with opinion as much as fact, and too heavily reliant upon novelists, particularly Bruce Olds, whose bias and ignorance of Brown is clear to any biographer. This PBS documentary misrepresents and omits important aspects of John Brown’s life and work. We have yet to see a fair and soundly researched and presented historical documentary about the abolitionist’s life. “Holy War” is NOT the place to start if you want to know about John Brown the man who lived. Take it from a biographer of the man.
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