A "Secret Six" Tour: Discovering the Contemporary Origin of the Term

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In this episode, I am inviting you on a peculiar historical tour of the term, "Secret Six." While John Brown students are accustomed to seeing this term used to speak of Brown's key supporters, this episode is about the origin of the term and its significance in the literature about Brown. As you'll discover, while the "tour" of "Secret Six" is full of trivial and interesting cases where the term has been used since the nineteenth century, it was not really applied to Brown's story until the twentieth century. While the term has its uses, students of Brown should know that in many respects, "Secret Six" has largely been used by the abolitionist's detractors more than his admirers. The tour bus has arrived, so join me for the "Secret Six" tour. . .

Episode music: "Paradox" by Quincas Moreira (YouTube music)