For abolitionists and antislavery activists, black and white, Brown emerged as a hero, a martyr, and ultimately, a harbinger of the end of slavery. Most Northern whites, especially those not committed to abolition, were aghast at the violence of his action. Yet there was also widespread support for him in the region.
Why was he so important?
John Brown was a leading figure in the abolitionist movement in the pre-Civil War United States. Unlike many anti-slavery activists, he was not a pacifist and believed in aggressive action against slaveholders and any government officials who enabled them.
Why is he a hero
John Brown's resistance of proslavery forces in Kansas brought him national attention. To many in the North, he became an abolitionist hero. His defense of the free-soil town of Osawattomie earned him the nickname "Osawatomie Brown," and a play by that name soon appeared on Broadway to commemorate his story.