John Brown's Raid On Harper's Ferry In 1859

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John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in October 1859, stands as a pivotal event in American history, marking a significant escalation in the tensions that would soon erupt into the Civil War. Brown, an ardent abolitionist, believed that slavery was a moral blight on the nation and that violent action was necessary to end it. His plan to incite a slave rebellion by seizing the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, however, was both audacious and tragic in its consequences.

John Brown was born on May 9, 1800, in Torrington, Connecticut. Raised in a deeply religious family, he developed a strong opposition to slavery from a young age. By the 1850s, Brown had become increasingly militant in his abolitionist views. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which allowed new territories to decide the issue of slavery by popular sovereignty, led to violent confrontations known as "Bleeding Kansas." Brown moved to Kansas and participated in these conflicts, notably the Pottawatomie Massacre in 1856, where he and his followers killed five pro-slavery settlers.

Brown's experiences in Kansas convinced him that slavery would only be abolished through force. He began formulating a plan to incite a large-scale slave uprising. The target of his plan was the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, which housed a vast supply of weapons that he intended to distribute to enslaved people.

On the night of October 16, 1859, Brown and a small band of 21 men, including his sons, set out to capture the arsenal. His group was racially diverse, comprising 16 white men, three free Black men (Dangerfield Newby, Lewis Leary, and John Copeland), one freed slave (Osborne Perry Anderson), and one fugitive slave (Shields Green). Their approach was methodical: they cut telegraph wires to prevent communication, captured the watchmen, and swiftly took control of the armory.

Initially, the raid proceeded without much resistance. Brown's men successfully seized the armory and captured several hostages, including Colonel Lewis Washington, a great-grandnephew of George Washington. Brown believed that enslaved people in the surrounding area would join his cause once they heard of the raid. Still, this anticipated mass uprising did not occur. Instead, local farmers and militia quickly mobilized to counter the raid.

By the morning of October 17, the town was under siege. Brown and his men were trapped inside the armory engine house. The militia cut off their escape routes, and a firefight ensued. During the day, several of Brown's men were killed, including Dangerfield Newby, who had joined the raid in hopes of liberating his wife and children from slavery.
The federal government swiftly responded to the crisis. President James Buchanan dispatched a contingent of U.S. Marines, led by Colonel Robert E. Lee and accompanied by Lieutenant J.E.B. Stuart. By the morning of October 18, Lee's forces had surrounded Brown's position.

Tuesday, October 18th, 1859, Stuart approached the engine house under a white flag, demanding Brown's surrender. Brown refused, believing that negotiations would lead to more time for reinforcements. Consequently, Lee ordered an assault. The Marines, using sledgehammers and a makeshift battering ram, broke through the doors. In the ensuing melee, several of Brown's men were killed or captured. Brown himself was wounded and taken prisoner.

The raid resulted in the deaths of ten of Brown's men, including two of his sons, and the capture of seven others. Five managed to escape, though they were later apprehended or killed.

John Brown was quickly brought to trial in nearby Charles Town, Virginia. He was charged with treason against the Commonwealth of Virginia, murder, and inciting a slave insurrection. The trial, presided over by Judge Richard Parker, began on October 27, 1859. Despite a spirited defense by his attorneys, Brown was found guilty on all counts. On November 2, he was sentenced to death.

Brown's demeanor during the trial and his eloquent speeches won him sympathy in the North, where many began to see him as a martyr for the abolitionist cause. Ralph Waldo Emerson famously compared him to Christ, while Henry David Thoreau praised his moral courage.

John Brown was hanged on December 2, 1859. His final written words, "I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood," proved prophetic. His raid, though a military failure, intensified the national debate over slavery and set the stage for the Civil War.

John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry was a turning point in American history. It galvanized abolitionists and struck fear into the hearts of slaveholders. The South reacted with outrage and a growing sense of encirclement, which contributed to the secessionist movement. The North, while divided on Brown's methods, increasingly viewed slavery as an irreconcilable moral issue.

Brown's raid and subsequent execution polarized the nation and underscored the deep divisions that would soon lead to civil war. His willingness to die for the cause of freedom left an indelible mark on American history, and his legacy as a radical abolitionist continues to provoke debate and reflection on the complexities of moral action and the fight for justice.

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