Was John Brown a terrorist? Today, America's perception of terrorism is based on the attacks of September 11, 2001. However, the use of force and violence to advance political means is not a new concept. It dates back to the antebellum period, when the nation's first terrorist was killed in the name of abolitionism. His name was John Brown and he was more than just a martyr for several reasons. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay First of all, John Brown was a terrorist simply by definition. Terrorism is defined as the use of violence and intimidation in pursuit of political objectives, both of which Brown practiced in the years preceding the Civil War. Brown killed many people in hopes of preventing slavery from taking over Bleeding Kansas. He tried to prevent slave owners and even citizens who support him but do not own slaves from establishing a political presence there in fear of Kansas becoming a slave state. He even killed abolitionists he thought weren't passionate enough. One of them was a slave who was looking for a missing guard. Brown killed the slave even though he was strongly against the use of slaves. Secondly, John Brown was a terrorist because he targeted specific individuals instead of killing just to make a point. Brown would “pursue certain men who were dangerous to the very survival of the free state settlers in the area” (Chowder 320). In fact, Brown would kill them during the night, when it was dark and it was an even bigger surprise. This had never been done before, not even among criminals, and this element of shock could be considered the beginning of modern terrorism. Brown had specific goals in mind with carefully considered plans, demonstrating that he intended to cause harm to individuals and not just blindly fight for a cause as a martyr would. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Finally, John Brown was a terrorist because he went out of his way to be cruel to his victims. The first example is when he killed James Doyle's entire family. They were abolitionists like him, but he went to their house to “break heads and cut off weapons” because his family did not fight the pro-slavery forces (Chowder 316). Then, after stabbing, Brown put a single bullet into Mr Doyle's head. Another example is the two slave owners in the cabin: Brown forced them to walk with him to the creek where he beheaded them. He clearly wants to instill fear in their hearts rather than simply kill them and make a point.