oct 16, 1859 - John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry

Description:

"John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry is an infamous event leading up the civil war. John Brown, four of his sons, and two others planned to capture an important weapons arsenal in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. The goal of the mission was to aid the slaves with weapons and to start a slave rebellion in West Virginia. On the night of October 16, 1859, John Brown and his men set out to capture the arsenal. They captured the arsenal but the slaves never came to receive their weapons. Government forces were sent to regain control of the arsenal. Soon, John Brown was the only group member still alive, his sons and friends were dead. John Brown was executed for treason. However, this event played a significant role on the outbreak of the civil war. It caused more anger to escalate between anti-slavery and pro-slavery supporters. It also opened the eyes of many slave owners by letting them know that their slaves could rebel against them and, therefore, slave owners became more strict and harsh to keep their slaves under control"(preceden.com).