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The John Brown Rebellion never really materialized. Brown and his small band raided and seized the arsenal at Harper's Ferry. The uprising that Brown hoped for did not occur. A unit of Marines led by Robert E. Lee captured Brown and his men after a violent assault, ending the raid. Brown was tried and hanged for treason as a result.
Eighteen men
To start a slave revolt.
"John Brown's Rebellion" was an attack by a small group of men on the federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry, VA (now Harpers Ferry, WV) on October 16, 1859. Brown hoped to steal weapons and arm the slaves in Virginia to rebel against slavery. Brown was captured, tried, convicted of treason, and hanged.
John Brown was an abolitionist who had fought in Kansas and Missouri. In 1859, he planned to free and arm slaves in Virginia, and thereby disrupt the institution of slavery in the South. He and 18 men raided the government arsenal at Harpers Ferry, intending to arm the slaves for a rebellion. They captured the mostly undefended arsena, but once inside, they were trapped and besieged by local townspeople and militia. Colonel Robert E. Lee (then in the US Army) led some Marines who killed or captured Brown's men. John Brown was tried for murder. At his trial, instead of defending his actions, he spoke out against the evils of slavery. He and four of his surviving men were convicted and hanged. The incident caused relations between North and South to deteriorate even further, as it made the abolitionists look like terrorists threatening to spread slave revolts.
The arsenal at Harper's Ferry
Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia)
he ordered his men to get a ladder that he saw to use as a battering ram to break open the door
It is Harper´s Ferry. John Brown was a famous abolitionist of the American Civil War. He decided to attack the federal arsenal of Harper´s Ferry with a group of 18 other men. This ended with a battle between his men and Robert E Lee´s men, and he was wounded and forced to surrender. This event was one of the causes of the Civil War.
John Brown led 21 men including 5 African Americans to capture the town's arsenal. His plan was to give the weapons to slaves so they might lead a revolt. No slaves showed up to take the weapons and John Brown and his men were captured. Half were killed, a few escaped, and the rest including Brown were tried and executed.
Without a doubt, John Brown's attempt to begin a slave revolt in Virginia was ill conceived. He, for one reason, did not have enough men in his group to carry out any sort of military victory other then taking over the undermanned Federal Arsenal at Harper's Ferry. His force was no larger than perhaps 23 men. And, as they lacked enough weapons, raiding a Federal arsenal quickly received the attention of Federal forces. Aside from that, Brown chose a place near that arsenal that had few slaves. Even then, the few slaves there did not join his forces in a revolt.
Actually, John Brown was one of the catalysts that STARTED the war. He led a small company of men, slaves, freemen and his sons to capture the Federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry Virginia. Col. Robert E. Lee and a company of soldiers captured him. He was eventually hanged.
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 actual charge was Treason.Further detailsJohn Brown was executed for attempting to start a slave rebellion in the Southern United States in 1859. With twenty one men (16 whites and five blacks), John Brown tried to raid the national arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia. He wanted to take control of the arsenal, wait for slaves from the surrounding area to join him at the arsenal, arm them, and eventually gather up a force large enough to challenge the local military and wipe out slavery as an institution. As you can guess, he failed miserably.
It is Harper´s Ferry. John Brown was a famous abolitionist of the American Civil War. He decided to attack the federal arsenal of Harper´s Ferry with a group of 18 other men. This ended with a battle between his men and Robert E Lee´s men, and he was wounded and forced to surrender. This event was one of the causes of the Civil War.
The Government arsenal at Harper's Ferry
The John Brown Rebellion never really materialized. Brown and his small band raided and seized the arsenal at Harper's Ferry. The uprising that Brown hoped for did not occur. A unit of Marines led by Robert E. Lee captured Brown and his men after a violent assault, ending the raid. Brown was tried and hanged for treason as a result.