The Portent: John Brown’s Raid in American Memory

Here in Virginia there is a great concern that an accurate presentation of our history would offend those who possess a simplistic knowledge of Virginia acquired from television, the movies, and politically mandated school curriculums. Usually this concern is addressed by applying a “balanced” label and then selectively editing the material to ensure political correctness. The blatant propaganda presented at the American Civil War Museum is an all-too-typical instance of this historical spin. As a member of the VHS I am disappointed that an exhibition on the notorious John Brown would have to be labeled, “balanced”. Would an exhibit on the actions of Charles Manson have to be advertised as balanced? Didn’t he too believe, advocate, and direct that the killing of innocents was necessary for the greater world to come? The VHS should instead concentrate its efforts on correcting the pervasive misrepresentations of our history that are so entrenched in the present American culture. An appropriate initial area to address would be our state schools and the lack of supplemental material of historical content often omitted from standardized texts.