Harper's Ferry

John Brown’s infamous raid on Harpers Ferry was a turning point on our nation’s path to the civil war. It widened the gap between the Northern and Southern States and fueled the radical opinions of both. On October 16, 1859, John Brown and 21 of his followers attacked the arsenal at Harpers Ferry with the idea of taking weapons from it and giving the weapons to slaves in the South. They were hoping this would create a slave uprising that would put an end to slavery, similar to a modern day Spartacus.
Even though things did not happen according to Brown’s plan, the attack still had a big impact on the country. The raid at Harpers Ferry, heightened tensions between the states; the country was a mixture of union, rebel, and border states.
John Brown had always hated slavery. His parents were abolitionists who worked to end slavery and who also instilled a strong religious faith in him which would serve as his reason and motivation for ending slavery. As a boy, he helpe...