In 1854, a man named John Brown escaped from slavery in Arkansas and made his way to Canada, where he lived as a free man for the rest of his life. However, in 1860, Brown was extradited back to Arkansas to face charges of stealing a horse. Despite protests from abolitionists and sympathetic Canadians, Brown was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison.
Now, more than 160 years later, the city of Helena-West Helena, Arkansas has decided to honor Brown’s memory by erecting a historical marker in his honor. The marker, which was unveiled on June 19th (Juneteenth), reads: “John Brown Escaped Slave Extradited from Canada to Arkansas.”
The decision to honor Brown was made by the Helena-West Helena City Council, which voted unanimously in favor of the marker. Council member Don Etherly, who proposed the idea, said that it was important to recognize the sacrifices that people like Brown made in the fight for freedom.
“We need to recognize the people who came before us and paved the way for us,” Etherly said. “John Brown was one of those people.”
Brown’s story is a reminder of the harsh realities of slavery and the lengths that people were willing to go to escape it. According to historical records, Brown was born into slavery in Virginia in the early 1800s and was eventually sold to a plantation owner in Arkansas. In 1854, he managed to escape and made his way to Canada, where he settled in the town of Chatham.
However, Brown’s freedom was short-lived. In 1860, he was arrested by Canadian authorities at the request of the U.S. government and extradited back to Arkansas to face charges of horse theft. Despite arguments from his lawyers that he was being punished for his escape from slavery rather than the alleged crime, Brown was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison.
After serving his sentence, Brown returned to Canada and lived there until his death in 1890. His story is a testament to the resilience and determination of enslaved people who fought for their freedom, even in the face of great danger and adversity.
The decision to honor Brown with a historical marker is a small but important step towards recognizing the contributions of those who fought for freedom and justice. As Etherly said, “We need to remember our history, both the good and the bad, so that we can learn from it and move forward.”
