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John Brown was a white abolitionist born in Connecticut and raised in Ohio. He felt it was his duty to wage a holy war against those who promoted slavery. On the night of October 16, 1859, after scouting out the area a few months earlier, John Brown and a handful of followers attempted to seize the town of Harper's Ferry. Harper's Ferry is situated between two rivers, the Shenandoah and the Potomac. It was an important trading town for the South as well as a Federal weapons arsenal. It was Brow's plan to take control of the arsenal and begin a riot among the 'negroes.' At first, Brown was successful. Brown and his men overwhelmed the watchmen at the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad bridge, the United States armory, and the rifle factory above the town on the Shanendoah. After stationing his men at these points throughout the town, John Brown went himself to an engine house near the armory. At this point, Brown began capturing roughly 40 hostages and packed them into the small armory. He held this position until the morning of the 18th. Then, U.S. marines led by Colonel Robert E. Lee effortlessly quelled his rebellion and captured Brown. In early december of that year, Brown was hanged. |
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