I had never heard of John Brown before reading this biography, though I learned quite a bit about him by the end of the book. John Brown was an abolitionist who fought to end slavery with the help of his liberation army. He and his army would sneak into plantations and help to free slaves, some of which would join his army. John Brown also met with famous abolitionists, such as Frederick Douglas and Martin R. Delany, to discuss plans on how to abolish slavery. In 1859, he planned with his army and other abolitionists to raid Harpers Ferry, a weapons arsenal in Virginia, to obtain weapons to help his cause. This raid is considered by historians to be one of the most important events leading up to the Civil War. Before the raid, John Brown wrote "The Provisional Constitution for the People of the United States," which he wanted to be used in a new country where everyone was free and equal. I feel as though John Brown was a very important figure in US history, though very few people today know about him. This book is a great introduction to him and his legacy, since the book explained important things he did and why he did them, without going too in-depth. ( )

Five stars solely for the illustrations of Jacob Lawrence. ( )