I guess we should have anticipated such a move on this
sesquicentennial of John Brown’s raid at Harpers Ferry. It’s an
indication that Brown’s reputation has taken a significant turn
since the end of the 1960s and that even Virginia may have a
different outlook (at least northern Virginia) on this crucial
moment on the eve of the the Civil War. While I don’t know much
about David Reynolds, I am surprised to find his name attached
to this project. As many of you know, Reynolds teaches at CUNY
and is the author of John Brown, Abolitionist: The Man Who
Killed Slavery, Sparked Civil War, and Seeded Civil Rights,
which is one of the best of the recent crop of Brown
biographies. Reynolds has not issued a formal statement, but you
can read his thoughts in the following news article. Let’s
remember that many Americans we honor had as many or more flaws
in their character and behavior: Washington and Jefferson owned
slaves, Columbus has been understandably accused of genocide,
and Lincoln shared the racial prejudice o