In her essay, “Becoming John Brown: Living History in the Classroom,” Gerry Kohler describes how she “becomes” John Brown for her students and uses their fascination with this controversial figure to help expand their understanding of his life and times. You can read Kohler’s full essay inside the print edition of Volume 25 of the OAH Magazine of History (April 2011) or online via Oxford Journals. Below are some video excerpts of Kohler as John Brown.

Pottawatomie Creek

The Hanging