As the group of men moved stealthily over the undulating Virginia hills, a light breeze in the October night gently wicked the nervous sweat that dampened their brows. Despite the tension, the men clung to one dreamlike hope: freedom for their fellow man.
Two days later, ten of these men would be dead; two months later, in December 1859, seven more would be hung. Why? Because of their ill-fated mission to raid Harpers Ferry, Virginia.
The group’s leader, John Brown, labelled at times a visionary, fanatic, terrorist, hero, fool, and martyr, sought vengeance for the human beings caught in what he called a constant “state of war” : slavery. Though his intentions were pure, Brown’s incessant zeal to liberate Black Americans necessitated, in his mind, carnage and bloodshed. His uncompromising position on liberation derived from a religious fervor as well as his deep-seated love for Black Americans. The latter view set him apart from most whites living during his time.
Sure, white abolitionists displayed their devotion by petitioning the government, publishing newspapers, forming interracial reform societies, and pledging to suffer physical abuse for their beliefs – but would they hatch a massive emancipation scheme and willingly and purposefully kill slaveholders in the process?
