John Brown Raids Harpers Ferry: Civil War Spark
John Brown led 21 men, including five Black volunteers, in a raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, on October 16, 1859, intending to seize weapons and trigger a slave uprising across the South. The uprising never came. Brown captured the arsenal but was quickly surrounded. Marines under Colonel Robert E. Lee stormed the engine house where Brown's men had barricaded themselves. Ten of Brown's raiders were killed, including two of his sons. Brown was tried for treason, convicted in 45 minutes, and hanged on December 2. His raid horrified the South and electrified the North. Ralph Waldo Emerson called him a 'new saint.' Union soldiers marched to war 18 months later singing 'John Brown's Body.' The raid didn't start the Civil War, but it made it inevitable.
October 16, 1859
167 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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