News National News 150 years later, John Brown’s revolt feels coldly modern Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) ...

Abolitionist John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry on October 16, 1859, was meant to start an armed slave revolt, and ultimately end slavery. Though Brown succeeded in taking over the federal armory ...

May 8, 1858 - John Brown meets with African American leaders to promote his plan to incite a slave revolt in Virginia. He presents his Provisional Constitution to the convention.

John Brown was a man of action -- a man who would not be deterred from his mission of abolishing slavery. On October 16, 1859, he led 21 men on a raid of the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry ...

On October 16, 1859, Brown led his group to Harpers Ferry where he took over the arsenal and waited for the slaves to revolt. The revolt never came. Two days later Robert E. Lee and his troops overran ...

So ended Brown's Rebellion. At his trial, Brown found at last the sounding board for his revolt against "this slave country" with its "wicked, cruel, and unjust enactments." ...

John Brown and many of his followers holed up in the fire engine house awaiting reinforcements by a swarm of "bees"—slaves from the surrounding area. But only a handful showed up. Library of ...

On This Day: John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry On October 16, 1859, abolitionist John Brown and his team launched a raid on a federal armory located in Harpers Ferry which was located in the ...

In those febrile years, Brown and many others took up arms; 18 months later the country plunged into a long, bloody civil war. What, to America, is John Brown?

John Brown remains a controversial figure in American history, and he has been variously described as a martyred hero, a danger to civilized society, and a lunatic.