StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

John Brown's Raid at Harper's Ferry - Research Paper Example

Cite this document
Summary
Name Professor Course Date John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry On the 18th of October 1859, the Republican New York Tribune reported an eruption of an insurrection at Harpers Ferry in Virginia. Moreover, the paper pointed a finger at the negroes led by white, Northern Abolitionists (New York Tribune)…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER92.4% of users find it useful
John Browns Raid at Harpers Ferry
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "John Brown's Raid at Harper's Ferry"

Download file to see previous pages

Following his execution after the raid on Harpers Ferry, Brown was hailed as a martyr among the opponents of slavery. Moreover, his actions were deemed as one of the causal factors of the American Civil War. John Brown disgust for slavery stemmed back during his childhood. Evidently, he was conceived in Torrington, Connecticut on 9th May 1800 (West Virginia Archives and History). Furthermore, he was brought up with strict religious values in which his father taught him that slavery was against God’s will and sinful.

Moreover, after Brown’s family relocated to Ohio, he witnessed the brutality meted against slaves by their masters and became a strong opponent of slavery. To this end, Brown passion of eliminating slavery grew to the point of advocating for violence as an end to slavery. Brown believed that the roots of slavery had grown so deep in society and only violence offered the best solution to its end. Interestingly enough, John Brown gained support from other opponents of slavery who had grown frustrated of the peaceful method.

His first violent exploits against slavery were established on Kansas which became known as bleeding Kansas. In 1856 of May, Brown is reported to have led his sons in an attack against proponent of slavery at Pottawatomie Creek in Kansas. Consequently, Brown set his objectives his anti slavery war higher by contemplating to start a slavery uprising in the South. To this end, Brown commenced his plans of a raid and capture of a federal armoury at Harpers Ferry in Virginia. To accomplish this, he moved into a farm in nearby Potomac River, Maryland (Lieutenant Green & Major Russell).

He was with his sons and loyal followers where they were trained in military tactics. Brown’s option to attack Harpers Ferry was founded on two notions. Foremost, he believed that he would be able to gain access to weapons that would be used in violent revolts against the southern slavery proponents. Second, he aimed to distribute the weapons among the enslaved negroes and eventually succeed in ending slavery. To this end, Brown conducted a night raid on Harpers Ferry on Sunday, October 16.

His group was composed of 5 Negroes and 16 whites. Evidently, Brown’s initial raid was successful as they began by slashing off telegraph wires. This was a tactical moved aimed at cutting off communication between the town and the outside world. Moreover, Brown and his men seized the rifle manufacturing plant, arsenal and local armoury. They further proceeded to hold up 60 hostages from the town. A key hostage in the raid was George Washington’s great grand nephew, Colonel Lewis Washington.

However, the efforts to isolate the town by cutting of communication were not successful. The apparent blunder was caused by the detention and release of a B&O train passing through the town. Upon the train’s arrival in Baltimore, the federal troops led by Colonel Robert E. Lee, were notified and sent over to Harpers Ferry. Meanwhile, the local militia had barricaded the town and blocked any possible escape routes for the raiders. Consequently, John Brown marshalled his small contingent and hostages to tiny engine house next to the armoury.

Upon the arrival of the federal forces, they raided the fire engine, overpowered Brown and killed most of his men. To this end, 15 insurgents and 5 citizens were killed, 3 insurgents were wounded while 5 insurgent

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“John Brown's Raid at Harper's Ferry Research Paper”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/history/1464424-john-brown-s-raid-at-harper-s-ferry
(John Brown's Raid at Harper'S Ferry Research Paper)
https://studentshare.org/history/1464424-john-brown-s-raid-at-harper-s-ferry.
“John Brown's Raid at Harper'S Ferry Research Paper”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/history/1464424-john-brown-s-raid-at-harper-s-ferry.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF John Brown's Raid at Harper's Ferry

Analyzing Black Historical Sites

Black Historical Sites in the Bay Area: Name Institution Introduction The racial divide in the USA took root from the 17th century as slavery began.... Imported Africans filled the US eventually in a bid to cover the demand for labor and the exploiting of the headright system.... hellip; The Africans formed a considerable population within the US due to the increased importation of slaves into the country....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

John Brown: Father of Terrorism in the American History

In July 1859, Brown came to harper's ferry under disguise and prepared grounds for his further attack.... Finally on 16th October, 1859, he invaded harper's ferry with his army of 20 militants.... This essay takes a look at the events that took place in john brown's life and also the writings of the historians.... While explaining John's arrival in Harpers ferry he says that his intention was to "begin his revolution in a spectacular way, capturing a few slaveholders and release some slaves( Villard, 1910)"....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

John Brown - Terrorist or Freedom Fighter

Several episodes of uprisings were reported as the authorities and humanitarians… According to Earle (2), it is difficult to come to terms with the different interpretations that the involved sides made of each other as the confrontations Using one of the most famous accounts of such a confrontation in America, the author illustrates the impact of humanitarians' calls for abolition linking john brown's raid as a possible origin of the American Civil War.... In spite of the dangerous approach adopted by John Brown and his associates in the Harpers ferry episode, abolition campaign was like a time bomb that would have anyway exploded due to neglect and contempt of human rights issues....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

The True Story of Uncle Tom's Cabin

This essay discusses the moral aspect of Uncles Tom's Cabin to slavery.... The book revolves around one major character Tom; a slave deeply rooted in his Christian values and virtues much to the disgust of his masters.... Uncle Tom paid with his own life fighting for others.... hellip; Uncle Tom's Cabin was published in 1852 and a series of events that many Americans believed were triggered by the novel followed, including what many to this day believe, was the American civil war....
5 Pages (1250 words) Research Paper

Attacks on Abortion Providers

This paper is an attempt to understand the differences and similarities between abolition and abortion concerning the attacks on slavery by john Brown and the attacks on abortion clinics in recent times.... The recent bombings on the abortion service provider clinics, and the statistics presented by National Abortion Federation for the last 30 years prove this point....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

History of Psychology

The fact that John organized a raid on the ferry knowing that it could not be successful shows that he was somehow mentally impaired.... John Browns Raid on Harpers ferry: A Brief History with Documents.... 4The case of john entails that of someone who might have been convicted wrongly, given that his case shows that he suffered from mental impairment.... Based on this, therefore, my take is that john suffered from a mental condition....
2 Pages (500 words) Assignment

The role of John Brown and his quest to end slavery and how it may or may not have the nation toward Civil War

Preparation took place in the freedman farm as they planned how to capture Federal Arsenal at Harpers ferry.... He emanated a humble family where his father instilled in him a strong and essence of Christian principles.... Hatred for slavery also developed in… As he grew up, he associated with the Blacks and he even relocated to live in a freedman's community in New York for two years....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Bleeding Kansas

The great Southern dread of a slave revolt was worsened by Browns try at Harpers ferry.... Wise received numerous letters as The Harpers ferry raid critically impacted the future of the abolition.... The great Southern dread of a slave revolt was worsened by Browns try at Harpers ferry.... Even though, many Northerners detested abolitionism, the Southern dread of mounting antislavery feeling was increased considerably by the Harpers ferry raid (Tony 67)....
1 Pages (250 words) Assignment
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us