As an aside, interesting note in the Wikipedia article about him:
Brown was the leading exponent of violence in the American abolitionist movement, believing it was necessary to end slavery after decades of peaceful efforts had failed.
He was the first person to be executed for Treason in the USA.
Interestingly many states still have treason in their state constitutions, and some of the punishments seem very out of date with current state attitudes.
Eg: North Dakota: no more than 20 years imprisonment.
Tennessee: repealed.
Texas: 1-20 years imprisonment.
Mississippi: death, or life imprisonment (that one I expected). California: death, or life imprisonment without parole. Vermont: death, specifically by electrocution (this is the only capital offence in Vermont for any crime).
I don’t get it, unfortunately.
John Brown was a famous abolitionist. He was executed, and there was a question of what do with with his remains. “John Brown’s body” then became kind of a meme and was turned into a song:
As an aside, interesting note in the Wikipedia article about him:
What a Wikipedia rabbit hole, thanks.
He was the first person to be executed for Treason in the USA.
Interestingly many states still have treason in their state constitutions, and some of the punishments seem very out of date with current state attitudes.
Eg: North Dakota: no more than 20 years imprisonment.
Tennessee: repealed.
Texas: 1-20 years imprisonment.
Mississippi: death, or life imprisonment (that one I expected).
California: death, or life imprisonment without parole.
Vermont: death, specifically by electrocution (this is the only capital offence in Vermont for any crime).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treason_laws_in_the_United_States#State
Thanks, that bit of US history trivia was news to me.
Same! Had no idea, definitely didn’t get the joke
“John Brown’s Body” was a folk song popular with the Union during the American Civil War
Unless there’s a deeper meaning that escapes me too, this one is just wordplay