Town (in present-day West Virginia) at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers, and site of a federal arsenal. Because of the arsenal and the town's significance as a transportation hub for western Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, abolitionist John Brown targeted it in a raid that took place October 16-18, 1859. He hoped that the action would lead to an invasion of the South and a liberation or rebellion of slaves. The raid failed, with most of Brown's twenty or so followers either killed or, like Brown, captured and hanged afterward. The raid drew national attention to the issue of slavery and increased passions on both sides of the debate. Harpers Ferry also was an important objective for the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War, and control of the town switched several times.
See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.
