John Brown was an abolitionist who led armed raids in Bleeding Kansas and Harpers Ferry to promote the end of slavery. His raid at Harpers Ferry was intended to start a slave rebellion, but it failed to gain widespread support and Brown was captured, convicted of treason, and hanged. Historians debate whether Brown should be considered a terrorist for his violent acts or a freedom fighter for his cause of abolishing slavery. Some view his tactics as too extreme while others see him as courageously fighting against the evils of the slave system through direct action. There are reasonable perspectives on both sides of how Brown would be viewed today.