“There Will Be No Peace in This Land”: John Brown, Jacob Lawrence, and the Morality of Terror

Liberator or murderer? Martyr or traitor? Freedom fighter or terrorist? Ever since the 1850s, public opinion has divided over the violent antislavery exploits of John Brown and his multiracial band of insurgents. John d’Entremont, Randolph College Professor of History, and art historian Kathleen Placidi will examine Brown’s polarizing impact and the ways in which American artists have portrayed him.

The work "John Brown’s Arsenal" (1941) by Jacob Lawrence is a part of the Randolph College collection and is on view as in the ongoing exhibition of "Selections from the Permanent Collection."