In this episode, I unpack the dynamic character that is Dangerfield Newby, the real life inspiration for Quentin Tarantino's title character in the film "Django Unchained." For many years Dangerfield Newby was viewed as a villain. He took part in John Brown's 1859 raid on the military arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. These raiders took people hostage. They killed people. But when we take a closer look at their motives for carrying out these violent offenses, when we read the letter removed from the pocket of Dangerfield's lifeless body, a letter written by a desperate and terrified wife, the question emerges: were these men actually villains? Or were they heroes?

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Sources:

History.com “John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry”
History.com “John Brown”
Harriet Newby Letters
Black Past “Dangerfield F. Newby”
American Battlefield Trust “Dangerfield Newby”
Emerging Civil War “The Newby Family Fights for Freedom”
WTRF “Black History: Former slave and Ohioan Dangerfield Newby’s life story ranges from hopeful to horrific”
Wikipedia “Dangerfield Newby”

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