Introduction

Abstract

This introductory chapter presents the account of American abolitionist John Brown's raid at Harpers Ferry, particularly the event that happened to his wife, daughters, and daughters-in-law the night following the raid. Many Americans have professed interest in the Brown women. Yet the women remain missing from the prevailing popular narrative about John Brown. Biographers, abolitionists, and Brown aficionados, past and present, have looked to Brown's family as his private antislavery army. Given this military metaphor, it is unsurprising that much of the interest has been with the Brown sons, As such, the book studies Brown women's involvement in the antislavery cause and their crucial roles in preserving and transforming his legacy.