Description: This landmark anthology collects speeches, letters, newspapers, journals, poems, and songs to demonstrate that John Brown's actions at Harpers Ferry altered the course of history. Without Brown, the Civil War probably would have been delayed by four years and emancipation movements in Brazil, Cuba, even Russia might have been disrupted.
Brief description: Zoe Trodd is Professor of American Literature at the University of Nottingham.
Review Quotes: Beautifully, even lyrically written, The Tribunal shows the kind of even judgment that can only arise from long immersion in the materials. The editors are aware of how complex a figure Brown is, and how easy it would be, but also how fatal, to take a tendentious line about him.--John Burt, Brandeis University