Harpers Ferry — Uncover John Brown's Plot

Born in 1800, John Brown was a fervent abolitionist whose Calvinist faith compelled him to fight slavery by all means, including violence. After participating in bloody skirmishes in Kansas ("Bleeding Kansas"), he devised a daring plan: to seize the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, distribute weapons to slaves, and establish a fortified refuge in the Appalachian Mountains to wage guerrilla warfare against slaveholders. He assembled a group of 21 men, composed of former slaves and white idealists, for this perilous mission.

On the night of October 16, 1859, Brown and his men launched their attack. They seized the armory and rifle factory. However, the plan quickly went awry. Slaves did not rise up en masse as anticipated, reinforcements failed to arrive, and the local militia surrounded the raiders. On October 18, a company of US Marines, led by Colonel Robert E. Lee, launched the final assault on the Engine House (now known as John Brown's Fort). Brown was captured, wounded, and several of his men were killed. His trial and execution became a national event, further polarizing public opinion between the North and South, and setting the stage for the Civil War that would erupt less than two years later.