Midnight Rising Essay
STUDENTS PLEASE READ THE BOOK MIDNIGHT RISING
1) You are a Union supporter writing about John Brown’s raid in 1864. Answer the following questions from
your point of view about John Brown and his actions.
• Examine John Brown’s early life and his family experiences. Explain how those experiences influenced
his abolitionism and his actions at Harper’s Ferry.
• Examine his actions in Kansas. Explain how those beliefs foreshadowed his actions in Virginia.
• Examine specific men and women who helped John Brown. Assess their motives. Examine their
actions to support him. Decide who played the largest roles in helping John Brown and explain what
actions they took.
• Explain the attack on Harper’s Ferry. Examine the actions of the local townspeople, the local slaves,
and the federal government during the attack. Assess what reasons explain the failure of the attack.
• Explain the public reaction to the capture and trials of the men. Compare and contrast how Northerners
and Southerners responded to the trial and execution. Explain how those foreshadowed the divisions of
the Civil War.
• Assess how Brown’s Raid influenced the events preceding the Civil War. Examine the way the attack
divided American society and how it fueled sectional differences.
