Interrogating History: The Mayflower, “America,” and John Brown

01/31/22 • 37 min

In this episode, Lou reflects upon the critical thesis of the late Gabriel Moran (1935-2021), who indefatigably pointed out the distinction between "America" as a dream (and as a vast continental land mass) and The United States of America as a nation. Following Gabriel's lead, Lou reflects upon the linguistic and political challenges of confusing the two, something that is done as much by rightwingers as by critics of racism, including such eminent voices as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. What is the significance of confusing the USA with "America"? Lou explores this theme, observing that, interestingly, John Brown typically did not make this error. He was quite aware that the problem with slavery and racism against which he struggled was a problem of The United States of America.
This episode is dedicated to the memory of Gabriel Moran, teacher and friend.--LD
If you're interested in exploring Gabriel's thinking about "America," see his book, America in the United States and the United States in America: A Philosophical Essay (iUniverse, 2018).
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Previous Episode

Light vs. Lies: The Real History of the Harper's Ferry Raid (with a Jan. 6th epilogue!)

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In this episode, Lou revisits the Harper's Ferry raid of October 16, 1859, presents some preliminary thoughts on the contemporary perspective and then addresses a number of key points, along with a "January 6th" epilogue. The key points addressed in this extended episode are:
1. What basically characterized John Brown’s earlier Virginia plan and how it was changed in the 1850s, and why it was changed?

2. Why did John Brown choose to capture the federal armory and what did he intend when he did so?

3. To what degree did John Brown’s movement in Harper’s Ferry attract local enslaved people?

4. Was the raid on Harper’s Ferry an ill-fated venture that had no real chance of success?

5. In what ways has our understanding of the HF raid been misshapen, and how has it come down to us?
John Brown's truth is ours too. He did his part. Let's do our part too and save our nation from rightwing rebellion, which is the spirit of the slaveholders.
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Next Episode

A Disparate Legacy: Oswald Garrison Villard and the John Brown Biography

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To begin the fourth cycle of John Brown Today, Lou reflects upon the life and contribution of Brown biographer, Oswald Garrison Villard, whose life of John Brown was first published in 1910. As Lou argues, Villard did a great favor to historical study and John Brown students by commissioning extensive research for his work--research that he could not even utilize to the fullest extent himself. On the other hand, Villard depreciated John Brown as a restless and principled murderer, used his economic clout to the disadvantage of W.E.B. DuBois, another biographer of Brown, and fueled more hostile biographies that followed. As Lou discusses in this episode, Villard did so for reasons both ideological and familial.
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