Kent birthed the leader of one of America's most famous slave revolts.

Photo courtesy soul.org

By Kelly Petryszyn

When people learn about slave revolts in class they normally don’t feel that they have a connection to them. People may be shocked to learn that one of the abolitionists behind these revolts, John Brown, lived right here in Kent. At the time Kent was referred to as Franklin Mills.

Brown led a group of armed men on a raid of the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, according to the Portage County Timeline found at the Portage County Historical Society. He wanted to seize guns and ammunition to arm the slaves in a fight for freedom.

Before he was able to finish, he was captured by army General Robert E. Lee. He was later tried and convicted of treason. He was then hanged in Charles Town, Virginia.

Even though he failed at completing this revolt, Brown’s abolitionist spirit penetrated the hearts of Franklin Mills residents prior to his death, spreading abolitionism throughout the town.

John Brown helped turn Franklin Mills into a network of safe houses for slaves to get food or shelter on their journey to Cleveland, where freedom awaited them across Erie Lake in Canada.

It is interesting to look back at Kent today and imagine that one day the people opened their doors to runaway slaves. The activities of the Underground Railroad in Franklin Mills created a solidarity that united the people. Who is the John Brown of Kent today? Are the people of Kent still wiling to go to the same length to help their fellow people?

Check out a story about the journey of slaves who traveled on the Underground Railroad in Uhuru --available on the Kent State University main campus soon!

To do your own research on the underground railroad visit the Ohio Historical Society at http://www.ohiohistory.org/undergroundrr/ or the Friends of Freedom Society http://www.ohioundergroundrailroad.org/ .