The Raid at Harpers Ferry

On this day in 1859, abolitionist John Brown led a group of 22 men, including five black men and three of his sons, on a raid against a federal armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia), in an attempt to start an armed slave revolt and destroy the institution of slavery.  Word of the raid spread, and by morning Brown and his men were surrounded.  Two days later, they were overrun.  Ten of his men, including two of his sons, were killed.  Brown was captured and tried by the state of Virginia for treason and murder.  Found guilty, he was executed on December 2.

To learn more about John Brown & his Raid at Harpers Ferry, try the following resources:

• Address of John Brown to the Virginia Court (Library of Congress)
• John Brown and Harpers Ferry (Library of Congress)
• ​John Brown's Holy War (PBS)
• John Brown's Holy War - Lecture (Yale University)
• John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry (Furman University)
• John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry - Lecture (C-SPAN)
• The Trial of John Brown (Famous Trials)

All of my posts about abolition can be found here.
All of my posts on the Civil War can be found here.