John Brown

7 6.1

An American who led an attack on Harpers Ferry to start a slave revolt and was put to death

proper noun
/dʒɑn braʊn/

: John Brown

The raid at Harpers Ferry led by John Brown is a pivotal event in U.S. history.

Examples

In 1859, John Brown was executed for his role in the raid on Harpers Ferry.
The famous abolitionist John Brown was executed in 1859.
John Brown remains a symbol of the fight against slavery for many Americans.
Many historians debate whether John Brown was a heroic martyr or a fanatic.
Did John Brown really believe he could start a slave revolt?
John Brown is remembered for his attempt to lead a revolt against slavery in the United States.
The legacy of John Brown continues to inspire activists fighting for racial equality.

Surface Forms

John Brown main

Morphology

John + Brown

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person; the biographical meaning (abolitionist who led the Harpers Ferry raid) cannot be derived from the constituent words. Knowing the parts 'John' and 'Brown' (even if 'Brown' is recognized as a university or a color) does not give the encyclopedic information required, so a B1 learner would not infer the MWE's meaning from its parts.

Etymology

John Brown comes from a real American who led a raid at Harpers Ferry to try to free enslaved people and was later hanged. Because he acted so strongly and risked his life for freedom, his name became a 'symbol of the fight against slavery'.