From the 12th of October through the 23 of December 2009 the Massachusetts Historical Society will be running an exhibit entitled “John Brown – Martyr to Freedom or American Terrorist — or Both?” The exhibit will open on the 150th anniversary of the raid – the 17th of October.
From their flyer:
“On 17 October 1859, abolitionist John Brown and 21 followers made an armed attack on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry in what is now West Virginia, taking townspeople as hostages, seizing arms, and hoping to incite a slave rebellion…the Society’s exhibition will present a selection of personal papers, photographs, engravings, and artifacts that document the raid and Brown’s trial and execution, all of which catalyzed powerful and sometimes extreme reactions from the American public. The debate that began then about the morality and meaning of Brown’s actions continues today, and the display will include examples of the ongoing argument.”
See http://www.masshist.org/events for more listings of programs at the Massachusetts Historical Society.
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