• m_‮f@discuss.onlineOP
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      17 hours ago

      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:

      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.

      • pulsewidth@lemmy.world
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        12 hours ago

        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       Interestingly many states still have treason in their state constitutions, and some of the punishments seem very out of date with current state attitudes.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        Tennessee: repealed.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

    • BougieBirdie@piefed.blahaj.zone
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      17 hours ago

      “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

  • shalafi@lemmy.world
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    11 hours ago

    I know who Brown was, had forgotten the song, and what’s with the hose and dog bowl?

    • m_‮f@discuss.onlineOP
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      8 hours ago

      I think the dog bowl is actually an oilpan, for changing oil. The hose is probably for washing cars getting said oil change.