In an event that would make him a prominent abolitionist figure, John Brown's Raid of Harpers Ferry was a bold attempt at freeing the enslaved and punishing their masters. Brown's army of 21 men would unsuccessfully attempt to take control of Harpers Ferry on the morning of October 16, 1859, lasting until the morning of October 18. Upon their failure, John Brown and six of his men were promptly arrested and tried for murder and conspiring with the enslaved. All imprisoned men, including Brown himself, were hanged in December of 1859. The impact of John Brown's Raid was far-reaching; it is often cited as one of the most important causes of the American Civil War.
John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry: Timeline
Let's take a look at the main events of those three days.
| Date and Time | Event |
| October 16 | 8 am: Brown and 21 men advanced into Harpers Ferry. 10 am: Brown and his men took the two bridges, the US Armory and Arsenal, and the US Rifle Works on Hall's Island. 12 pm: Enslavers by the names of Lewis Washington and John Allstadt were taken hostage and their slaves were set free. |
| October 17 | 4/5 am: Raiders were still holding enslavers hostage in the Armory Fire Engine House while daylight messengers began to send the alarm of a raid and slave revolt. Brown also seized Armory employees as they entered for work. 7 am: The townspeople began firing Brown and his men. 10 am: The townspeople completely surrounded and blocked Brown's exits. Brown asked the townspeople for a truce after one of his men, William Thompson, was captured. 2 pm: The townspeople began to attack raiders and the formerly enslaved at the US Rifle Works. The Mayor of Harpers Ferry, Fontaine Beckham, was accidentally killed in the fight. 3 pm: By this time, the townspeople had been able to free most of the hostages from Brown's control, forcing Brown and some of his men to stay in the engine house. A few of Brown's men were able to escape into the surrounding hills or across the Potomac River. 11 pm: Colonel Robert E. Lee and 90 US Marines arrived in Harpers Ferry from Washington DC. |
| October 18 | 7 am: Oliver Brown was killed while other raiders were captured, beaten, or surrender to the Marines. Despite it all, Brown refused to surrender. Brown was eventually removed by the Marines and taken to prison to face his crimes. |
John Brown's Raid Summary
From 16 to 18 October 1959, abolitionist John Brown initiated a slave revolt in the small town of Harpers Ferry in West Virginia. John Brown sought to seize control of the federal armoury at Harpers Ferry and lead an armed revolt that would end the custom of slavery.
John Brown's Raid Cause and Effect
Upon the passing of the Kansas Nebraska Act in 1854, Abolitionist John Brown agreed to follow his sons Owen, Oliver, and Watson into Kansas to ensure that the territory would be free. When the "Sacking of Lawrence" happened in 1856, Brown decided it was necessary to violently retaliate. During the Sack, Douglas County, Sheriff Jones, led a group of men to destroy presses for the Kansas Free State and Herald of Freedom Abolitionist newspapers, the home of Charles Robinson (a free-state militia Commander-in-Chief), and the Free State Hotel. The attack was ordered on the basis of the Hotel being used by Abolitionists as a "fortress" and "arsenal" to promote resistance against pro-slavery government acts.
If you would like to have a more in-depth understanding of the Kansas Nebraska Act as well as "Bleeding Kansas", the period in which John Brown became infamous, check out these two articles:
Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854
Bleeding Kansas
John Brown's Raid: The Pottawatomie Massacre
As a response to the sacking, John Brown led his sons on a march through the Pottawatomie Valley on the night of May 24-25, 1856. It was during this march that Brown and his sons dragged five pro-slavery men (who had participated in the sacking) from their homes and brutally killed them by the Pottawatomie Creek in front of their families.
Though John Brown carried out this act in the name of Abolition, some did not agree with such a harsh level of retaliation. For example, in 1856, abolitionist Frederick Douglass himself stated that it was
A terrible remedy for a terrible malady - Frederick Douglas, 1856
Regardless, this event was extremely influential during the time of "Bleeding Kansas" and helped spread John Brown's infamy across the country.
John Brown's Raid: Planning the Raid of Harpers Ferry
John Brown started to plan the raid months before in July 1859.
July - September 1859
John Brown finds a farmhouse to rent just outside of Harpers Ferry in Virginia where he and his men begin to plan their attack.
Brown tries to convince Frederick Douglass to join him and his men on their raid, despite knowing that Douglass spoke out against his previous actions. Douglass refused the opportunity and the plan was then set for October 16, 1859.To ensure the success of his plans, Brown worked closely with a man named John Cook, who served as his advance in Harpers Ferry. He kept Brown and his men up to date about the town, armories, and train schedules.
Map of Harper's Ferry, Wikimedia Commons.
Impact of John Brown's Raid
What happened after the raid?
John Brown's Trial
In total, 16 people were killed in John Brown's raid of Harpers Ferry ten of which were John Brown's men, five were townspeople, and one was a Marine.
October 27, 1859: John Brown’s trial for murder and attempt to begin a slave insurrection began. 
John BrownThe trial only lasted five days and the jury took just 45 minutes to find him and his men guilty on all charges.
November 2, 1859: Brown and his men were sentenced to be hanged. Only five of Brown’s 21 men were able to escape all responsibility by fleeing before arrest.
December 2, 1859: John Brown and his men were executed and Brown’s wife took his body home to bury him in North Elba, New York.
Brown was very influential to the abolitionist movement; he not only inspired other abolitionists to act but also inspired the enslaved people who were losing hope of ever seeing freedom. Although unsupportive of his methods, Abraham Lincoln still referenced John Browns Raid in his “Cooper Union Address” on February 27, 1860, in New York, where his moderate stance on slavery helped inspire the growth of Abolitionism.
Slavery is a state of war
(John Brown)
John Brown's Raid - Key takeaways
- Before attacking Harpers Ferry, John Brown and his sons had already become infamous for their march through the Pottawatomie Valley during the time of Bleeding Kansas.
- Brown's army was made up of 21 men, two of which were previously enslaved African Americans.
- The raid lasted from the morning of October 16 to the morning of October 18.
- 16 lives were lost during the raid: 10 raiders, 5 townspeople, and 1 Marine.
- Although many did not agree with his violent methods, John Brown became a martyr of Abolitionism upon his execution in December of 1859.
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