A Plea for Captain John Brown is an essay by Henry David Thoueau, based off a speech that he originally gave in Concord, Massachusetts in 1859. John Brown was a slavery abolitionist who, along with 21 other men, stole 100,000 rifles and muskets from the Federal armory. The plan was to arm the slaves and create a revolt against the South. Brown was jailed when the revolt was stopped by forces led by Robert E. Lee. Going against the grain, Thoreau painted a picture of Brown as an honourable man with an honourable cause. John Brown was hanged in 1859.