{"id":4631,"date":"2024-01-17T16:00:18","date_gmt":"2024-01-17T16:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oldsite.coloredconventions.org\/harper\/?page_id=4631"},"modified":"2025-04-09T23:12:59","modified_gmt":"2025-04-09T23:12:59","slug":"john-and-mary-brown","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/oldsite.coloredconventions.org\/harper\/activist-and-writing-community\/john-and-mary-brown\/","title":{"rendered":"Mary Brown"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Title” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

\u200bHARPER AT 200<\/h3>\n

MARY BROWN<\/h1>\n

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In an hour like this the common words of sympathy may seem like idle words, and yet I want to say something to you, the noble wife of the hero of the nineteenth century. Belonging to the race your dear husband reached forth his hand to assist, I need not tell you that my sympathies are with you. I thank you for the brave words you have spoken. A republic that produces such a wife and mother may hope for better days.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2013Frances Watkins Harper to Mary Ann Day Brown, November 14, 1859<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"\"

Image via Wikimedia<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

After Brown\u2019s first wife, Dianthe Lusk, died after giving birth to their seventh child, he hired a new housekeeper. This housekeeper\u2019s sister was Mary Ann Day, who would come to the Brown household to do chores as well. Brown fell in love with her, and they married in 1833. Together, the couple had thirteen children, only six of which survived to adulthood. Only four of those children outlived Brown\u00a0 [1] [2].<\/p>\n

Mary was active in the anti-slavery cause in her own right; she took part in Brown\u2019s efforts to aid African Americans. In a letter to his brother Frederick in late 1834, Brown wrote \u201cthat he had been trying to devise ways to help those in bondage\u201d[3]. Brown then stated that he, \u201chis wife, and three sons had agreed to seek out a Black boy and bring him up as one of the family, giving him a good education”. They hoped, Brown continued, \u201cthat such a boy be obtained without charge from a Christian slave holder.” If that did not work, they would try to raise a free Black boy. If that also did not work, \u201cthey would suggest themselves to considerable privation in order to buy a young [enslaved] boy\u201d [4] [5].<\/p>\n

Nothing came of this, but it is important to note that Mary was part of this plan and supported and influenced Brown in his endeavors to help the enslaved. Although there is no written record regarding just how much information Brown shared with Mary, she \u201chad \u2018always been the sharer of his plans\u2019 and was as convinced as John was that he was an \u2018instrument in the hands of Providence\u2019\u201d [6] [7].<\/p>\n

Even when Brown was away from his family, he wrote to Mary and shared his thoughts and plans. In one letter, dated January 8, 1847, Brown, living in Springfield, MA at the time, wrote that his long absence from his family \u201cmade him even more sensitive to the lot of the vast number of slaves who experienced separation from their loved ones with almost no hope of seeing them again in this life\u201d[8].<\/p>\n

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References<\/h3>\n

[1] \u201cThe Wives and Children of John Brown.\u201d Harpers Ferry National Historic Park, National Park Service<\/em>, https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/articles\/wives-and-children-of-john-brown.htm<\/a> .<\/p>\n

[2] \u201cThe Wives and Children of John Brown.\u201d<\/p>\n

[3] Quarles, Benjamin. Allies For Freedom: Blacks and John Brown.\u00a0<\/i>Oxford University Press, 1974, p. <\/span>16.<\/p>\n

[4] Quarles 16.<\/p>\n

[5] Quarles 16.<\/p>\n

[6] Toledo, Gregory. The Hanging Of Old Brown: A Story Of Slaves, Statesmen, And Redemption.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Praeger, 2002, <\/span>p. 237.<\/p>\n

[7] Toledo 237.<\/p>\n

[8] Toledo 18.<\/p>\n

Credits<\/h3>\n

Written by Jessica Thelen<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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