To Purge This Land with Blood: A Biography of John Brown

Stephen B. Oates' biography examines the life of John Brown, the abolitionist who led a raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry in October 1859. Brown intended to secure weapons and initiate a slave rebellion. Though the raid failed, it had significant national impact and contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War. Oates traces Brown's early career, his struggles with poverty and illness, and the financial pressures of supporting a large family. The biography documents Brown's path through numerous business ventures, failures, unsuccessful speculations, lawsuits, and bankruptcies before he turned to armed abolitionism. Brown remains one of the most controversial figures in American history, and his actions raise questions about unsanctioned violence undertaken for what participants view as a greater good. Prior to Oates' work, biographies of Brown published in the century following his execution were often highly politicized. Since its publication, Oates' biography has been recognized as a balanced assessment that presents Brown in his full complexity.