John Brown
John Brown, born in 1800, was a militant abolitionist best known for commanding a raid on Harpers Ferry in West Virginia in October 1859. The raid was a failure, and Brown was executed a few months later. Augustus Washington, an African-American photographer, took this portrait of him in 1846 or 1847.
John Brown
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Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren, born in 1782, was the eighth President of the United States and the first president to be born an American (rather than a British) citizen. Historians disagree over his presidential legacy, although most agree that he made major advances to the American political system. The above photograph was taken between 1849 and 1850.
Martin Van Buren
