Important Day in US History: Raid on the Harpers Ferry

Letter to Family Dear Dad and Mom, I am writing to share with you what I learned about the Raid on the Harpers Ferry that took place on the 16^th of October in 1859 at night. According to Cirillo (2017, p. 394), this event marked one of the crucial days in American history leading to the Civil War. On that fateful October night, John Brown led a band of 22 abolitionists in an assault against the US military arsenal at Harper’s Ferry in West Virginia. In John Brown’s words, “The goal was the first step in establishing an independent stronghold of freed slaves in Maryland and Virginia.” A staunch abolitionist, John Brown came from a Calvinist family that opposed slavery. As early as 1848, he was already planning an insurrection against the institution of slavery. It is important to note that slavery was among the issues that led to the Civil War. Events like Raid on the Harpers Ferry were precursors that emboldened African Americans’ resolve to fight for their freedom and the Northern states to be triggered into action. According to Rocco Jr., the raid inflamed white Southern fears and further heightened the tension between the Southern and Northern states.