A PowerPoint by past Project Librarian Tom McMurdo, on how using historic newspapers on Chronicling America can show different perspectives on a historic event.

1. John Brown and the
Raid on Harper’s Ferry
Differing Perspectives in Chronicling America
Tom McMurdo, VTLIB

2. Chronicling America is a powerful
research tool. The breadth of time
covered, nearly a century—1836-
1922—gives researchers ongoing
coverage of long running events and
themes.
Just as important are the growing
number of states and publications in
Chronicling America that allow
researchers to look at events from
multiple perspectives.

3. John Brown is a figure that is still
likely to elicit a variety of opinions,
depending on whom and where you
ask. Was he a terrorist? Or was he the
first hero of the Civil War?

4. John Brown’s Ill-fated raid on Harper’s Ferry,
VA took place on October 16-18, 1859.
Brown and 20 others captured the armory
with the intention to arm nearby slaves and
begin an insurgency that would end slavery
in the south. Brown and his men, including a
freed slave, a fugitive slave, and three of his
sons, were cornered in the armory by militia
and US Marines. Brown was soon defeated.
Among the dead were two of Brown’s sons.
John Brown was hanged in Virginia on
December 2, 1859. His body was sent to his
family farm in upstate NY.

5. Vermont newspapers began reporting on the
raid by the end of the week:
Burlington Free Press, Oct. 21, 1859
Note death notice of John
Calhoun, former surveyor
general of KS. Pro-slavery, he
endorsed a KS state constitution
that favored slavery and
slaveholders.
A prominent rumor is reported
here: “a body of 250 to 800
abolitionists and negroes had
taken possession of the US
arsenal at Harper’s Ferry.” It is
dispelled later in the article.

6. More Vermont coverage:
Vermont Phoenix, Oct. 22, 1859
Brattleboro’s Vermont Phoenix
clears up rumors and reports
that John Brown is still alive and
in custody on October 22.

7. Meanwhile in Virginia there is a lot more
detail right away:
Daily Dispatch (Richmond, VA),
Oct. 20, 1859
The Daily
Dispatch
from
Richmond, VA
filled its
columns with
details about
what was
happening at
Harper’s
Ferry.

8. The Richmond, VA Daily Dispatch used a
different tone from VT’s newspapers on
Harper’s Ferry:
Daily Dispatch
(Richmond, VA),
Oct. 20, 1859
“The outrage which has just been enacted at Harper’s Ferry,
the South will feel most deeply. Is it possible—her citizens will
ask—is it possible that the animosity of the North against us
has reached such a degree of all-consuming hate as to drive
any of her citizens upon such efforts, and make them blind,
not only to its vile wickedness, but to its utter folly?”

9. History repeats itself:
Vermont Watchman and State Journal,
Oct. 28, 1859
The Daily Dispatch
and the Vermont
Watchman & State
Journal (Montpelier)
both pointed out
that President
Buchanan’s
administration had
received an
anonymous warning
in August that the
raid would take
place under the
command of John
Brown.

10. History repeats itself:
Vermont Watchman and State Journal,
Oct. 28, 1859
The warning letter,
though anonymous
at the time, later
proved to be
written by David J.
Gue of Iowa. The
existence of this
letter has been
dropped from the
popular narrative
of John Brown and
Harper’s Ferry.

11. Instant politicization of Harper’s Ferry:
Edgefield Advertiser,
Oct. 26, 1859
Predictably, this newspaper
editor writing in the
Edgefield Advertiser (South
Carolina) called it a “hair
(sic)-brained demonstration
by a pack of fanatics and
poor deluded slaves.” he
goes on to discuss how this
will cause the North to pull
back from Republicanism
and to retreat from anti-slavery
stances. Yes, the
opposite happened.

12. Always other interesting items on the page:
Edgefield Advertiser,
Oct. 26, 1859
On the same page as the
Harper’s Ferry Raid articles
is this chess puzzle. This is
the earliest one I have seen
in my career working with
newspapers. Leisure and
games in the 19th century is
a growing area of historical
research.

13. Instant politicization of Harper’s Ferry:
The Alleghenian,
Dec. 8, 1859
The editor of the
Ebensburg, Pa Alleghenian
had a much different take
on Harper’s Ferry: the
rapid end of slavery in
Virginia. Of course slavery
would be ended in six
years, but not in the
manner this writer
believed. He argues that
natural progress will
overwhelm the Old
Dominion and end slavery
there.

14. The Power of Chronicling America:
There are many more newspapers from this era available on
Chronicling America. I have just scratched the surface. I do hope
these examples give you a notion of how great it is to be able to read
contemporary opinions and reports of events from many different
newspapers in many different locales.