John Brown
To arm the slaves for a full-scale rebellion.
Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia) was a small town, where a Federal Arsenal was located. Brown became convinced that if he started an uprising among slaves by providing weapons and strategy, the revolt would spread across the entire south. Thus, by raiding the Federal Arsenal at Harpers Ferry, he, his sons, and men could seize weapons and provide them to slaves, during what he envisioned as a revolt.
He intended to take guns from the arsenal and give them to slaves so that those slaves could start a rebellion and become free.
John Brown in Harpers Ferry tried to seize a federal armory on behalf of his cause.
to seize a federal arsenal and start a widespread slave uprising
The most important factor in John Brown's decision to launch the raid at Harpers Ferry was his fervent belief in armed resistance as a means to end slavery. Brown viewed the federal armory at Harpers Ferry as a strategic location to seize weapons and incite a slave uprising across the South. His radical ideology, driven by a deep moral conviction, compelled him to take drastic action in pursuit of abolition, believing that violent confrontation was necessary to achieve justice.
John Brown attempted to start a slave uprising there in 1859 - he led men to the arsenal there to seize weapons. MORE INFO: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2940.html
The abolitionist who attempted to seize a federal armory for his cause was John Brown. In 1859, he led an armed raid on the Harpers Ferry armory in Virginia, aiming to initiate a slave uprising and establish a stronghold for freed slaves. Brown's actions were ultimately unsuccessful, leading to his capture, trial, and execution, but they heightened tensions between the North and South and contributed to the onset of the Civil War.
John Brown aimed to seize the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry to acquire weapons and ammunition to arm enslaved people and incite a rebellion against slavery in the South. He believed that by launching a violent uprising, he could ignite a larger movement to end slavery in the United States. Brown viewed the raid as a crucial step in his moral crusade against the institution of slavery, hoping to establish a stronghold for resistance. However, the raid ultimately failed and led to his capture and execution.
John Brown led a raid on Harpers Ferry in October 1859 to initiate a violent uprising against slavery in the United States. He aimed to seize weapons from the federal armory there and arm enslaved people to fight for their freedom. Brown believed that such an insurrection was necessary to challenge the institution of slavery and to inspire others to join the cause. His actions, however, ultimately led to his capture and execution, intensifying the national debate over slavery.
The effect of John Brown's rebellion was his two sons were killed at Harper's Ferry. The rebellion was to seize the ammunition and arms in the federal arsenal and to arm the slaves in the area.
John Brown staged a raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859 to initiate a slave uprising and promote the abolition of slavery in the United States. He aimed to seize weapons from the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, which he believed would empower enslaved people to revolt against their oppressors. Brown viewed this bold action as a necessary step to catalyze a broader movement against slavery, although the raid ultimately failed, leading to his capture and execution. His actions, however, intensified national tensions over slavery and contributed to the events leading up to the Civil War.