约翰·布朗袭击哈珀斯费里

From October 16 to 18, 1859, American abolitionist John Brown attempted to initiate a slave revolt in Southern states by raiding an armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia). The raid is frequently cited as one of the primary causes of the American Civil War.

Brown's party of 22 was defeated by a platoon of U.S. Marines, led by First Lieutenant Israel Greene. Ten of the raiders were killed during the raid, seven were tried and executed afterwards, and five escaped. Several of those present at the raid would later be prominent figures in the Civil War: Colonel Robert E. Lee was in overall command of the operation to retake the arsenal. Stonewall Jackson and Jeb Stuart were among the troops guarding the arrested Brown, and John Wilkes Booth was a spectator at Brown's execution. John Brown had originally asked Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, both of whom he had met in his transformative years as an abolitionist in Springfield, Massachusetts, to join him in his raid, but Tubman was prevented by illness and Douglass declined, as he believed Brown's plan was suicidal.

The raid was extensively covered in the press nationwide—it was the first such national crisis to be publicized using the new electrical telegraph. Reporters were on the first train leaving for Harpers Ferry after news of the raid was received, at 4 p.m. on Monday, October 17. It carried Maryland militia, and parked on the Maryland side of the Harpers Ferry bridge, just 3 miles (4.8 km) east of the town (at the hamlet of Sandy Hook, Maryland). As there were few official messages to send or receive, the telegraph itself was carried on the next train, connected to the telegraph wires that had been cut at the start of the raid, and was "given up to reporters" who "are in force strong as military".……

Etymology

The label "raid" was not used at the time. A month after the attack, a Baltimore newspaper listed 26 terms used, including "insurrection", "rebellion", "treason", and "crusade". "Raid" was not among them.

Brown's preparation

John Brown rented the Kennedy Farmhouse, with a small cabin nearby, 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Harpers Ferry, in Washington County, Maryland, and took up residence under the name Isaac Smith. Brown came with a small group of men minimally trained for military action.……

Advance knowledge of the raid

Brown paid Hugh Forbes $100 per month (equivalent to $3,583 in 2025),

to a total of $600, to be his drillmaster. Forbes was an English mercenary who served Giuseppe Garibaldi in Italy. Forbes' Manual for the Patriotic Volunteer was found in Brown's papers after the raid.……

Timeline of the raid

Sunday, October 16

On Sunday night, October 16, 1859, at about 11 PM, Brown left three of his men behind as a rear-guard, in charge of the cache of weapons: his son Owen Brown, Barclay Coppock, and Francis Jackson Meriam. He led the rest across the bridge and into the town of Harpers Ferry, Virginia.……

Trial and execution

Brown was hastily processed by the legal system. He was charged by a grand jury with treason against the Commonwealth of Virginia, murder, and inciting a slave insurrection. A jury found him guilty of all charges;……

Consequences of Brown's raid

John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry was one of the last major events that led to the Civil War (see sidebar at top of article).……

Casualties

John Brown's raiders

Counting John Brown, there were 22 raiders, 15 white and 7 black. 10 were killed during the raid, 7 were tried and executed afterwards, and 5 escaped. In addition, Brown was assisted by at least two local enslaved people; one was killed and the other died in jail.

Other casualties, civilian and military

Killed

Legacy

Many of John Brown's homes are today small museums. The only major street named for John Brown is in Port-au-Prince, Haiti (where there is also an Avenue Charles Sumner).……

Tragic Prelude

John Brown is featured in a large mural by John Steuart Curry, titled Tragic Prelude and completed in 1942.……

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Harpers Ferry and some surrounding areas were designated as a National Monument in 1944.……

Conflicting interpretations

John Brown was widely known after his execution in 1859. He was sometimes considered as the symbol of the nation's polarization: in the North he was often seen as a hero, and the day of his execution a day of mourning for many; flags were flown at half staff in some cities.……