it’s a folk song written about the 1850s/60s abolitionist/terrorist who was put to death for treason in 1860 for attempting to inspire a mass national slave uprising in Harper’s Ferry, VA (today WV).
Fun fact, the guy who lives in his house is super cool! (i used to live down the street from his headquarters in West Virginia)
TIL that the Battle Hymn of the Republic was an abolitionist song and based on another abolitionist song:
The “Battle Hymn of the Republic” is an American patriotic song written by the abolitionist writer Julia Ward Howe during the American Civil War.
Howe adapted her song from the soldiers’ song “John Brown’s Body” in November 1861, and sold it for $4 to The Atlantic Monthly[1] in February 1862. In contrast to the lyrics of the soldiers’ song, her version links the Union cause with God’s vengeance at the Day of Judgment (through allusions to biblical passages such as Isaiah 63:1–6, Revelation 19 and Revelation 14:14–19).
Julia Ward Howe was married to Samuel Gridley Howe, a scholar in education of the blind. Both Samuel and Julia were also active leaders in anti-slavery politics and strong supporters of the Union. Samuel was a member of the Secret Six, the group who funded John Brown’s work.
any song set to John Brown’s Body is a great song
never heard of them
it’s a folk song written about the 1850s/60s abolitionist/terrorist who was put to death for treason in 1860 for attempting to inspire a mass national slave uprising in Harper’s Ferry, VA (today WV).
Fun fact, the guy who lives in his house is super cool! (i used to live down the street from his headquarters in West Virginia)
sample: https://micahkesselring.bandcamp.com/track/john-browns-body
TIL that the Battle Hymn of the Republic was an abolitionist song and based on another abolitionist song:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Hymn_of_the_Republic
it was also the de facto national anthem through the late 1800s