Qasim Rashid, Esq.Dec 3, 2022

On Dec 2, 1859, Abolitionist John Brown was the first American ever executed for treason. The second ever executed for treason was Aaron Dwight Stevens (March 15, 1831 – March 16, 1860).

Their crimes? Attempting to free the enslaved. The first Americans executed for treason was for the crime of freeing the enslaved.

Legality is not always a measure of justice & morality, but a measure of power. This was only two life spans ago.

May we learn from these atrocities & uphold justice forever.

Show threadJessica CravenDec 3, 2022
@QasimRashid I thought treason had to involve a declared war with a foreign power? How did they get them both under treason laws?
Show threadGeorge Carty
@jesscraven101 @QasimRashid He was charged with treason against the Commonwealth of Virginia rather than the United States, so the US Constitution's definition of treason likely wasn't relevant.
Apr 13, 2023 at 9:27amWeb