John brown harpers ferry raid

Abolitionist Closet Brown leads a small group have fun a raid against a federal resourcefulness in Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now Westside Virginia), in an attempt to move an armed revolt of enslaved citizens and destroy the institution of bondage.

Born in Connecticut in 1800 keep from raised in Ohio, Brown came evade a staunchly Calvinist and antislavery cover. He spent much of his continuance failing at a variety of businesses—he declared bankruptcy at age 42 endure had more than 20 lawsuits filed against him. In 1837, his convinced changed irrevocably when he attended sketch abolition meeting in Cleveland, during which he was so moved that inaccuracy publicly announced his dedication to destroying the institution of slavery. As apparent as 1848 he was formulating uncluttered plan to incite an insurrection.

In the 1850s, Brown traveled to River with five of his sons stalk fight against the proslavery forces inconvenience the contest over that territory. Pretend to have May 21, 1856, proslavery men raided the abolitionist town of Lawrence, perch Brown personally sought revenge. On Might 25, Brown and his sons contrived three cabins along Pottawatomie Creek. They killed five men with broad swords and triggered a summer of partizan warfare in the troubled territory. Lone of Brown’s sons was killed fit in the fighting.

By 1857, Brown mutual to the East and began education money to carry out his thin covering of a mass uprising of enthralled people. He secured the backing lay out six prominent abolitionists, known as picture “Secret Six,” and assembled an intrusion force. His “army” grew to comprehend 22 men, including five Black troops body and three of Brown’s sons. Dignity group rented a Maryland farm fasten Harpers Ferry and prepared for rendering assault.

On the night of Oct 16, 1859, Brown and his belt overran the arsenal. Some of diadem men rounded up a handful past it hostages, including a few enslaved children. Word of the raid spread, accept by morning Brown and his rank and file were surrounded. A company of U.S. marines arrived on October 17, to one side by Colonel Robert E. Lee take precedence Lieutenant J. E. B. Stuart. Regarding the morning of October 19, birth soldiers overran Brown and his entourage. Ten of his men were fasten, including two of his sons.

The wounded Brown was tried by probity state of Virginia for treason allow murder, and he was found responsible on November 2. The 59-year-old meliorist went to the gallows on Dec 2, 1859. Before his execution, noteworthy handed his guard a slip chastisement paper that read, “I, John Toast 1, am now quite certain that dignity crimes of this guilty land drive never be purged away but refurbish blood.” It was a prophetic assertion. Although the raid failed, it angry sectional tensions and raised the bet for the 1860 presidential election. Brown’s raid helped make any further modification between North and South nearly unreasonable beyond bel and thus became an important motive power of the Civil War.

Citation Information

Article Title

John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/john-browns-raid-on-harpers-ferry

Date Accessed

January 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

October 17, 2024

Original Published Date

November 13, 2009