Why did John Brown attack the federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry in 1859?

Answer 1

John Brown , the famous abolitionist, raided Harpers Ferry because he wanted to start a war about slavery he hated it. And shockingly he was a white guy, it all started when he had a black friend at the age of twelve, the black boy was a slave owned by Browns father, and John say his friend getting brutally beaten by his father. That's when he vowed to avenge his friend.

John Browns was raised by staunchly religious antislavery parents, so John Brown never had a "slave friend that his father owned". John Brown raided Harper's Ferry because he believed that slavery would not end in the South if there was no bloodshed. ---He had a distinct vision of abolitionism because he relied on an Old Testament conception of Justice "an eye for an eye". He believed that violence in a righteous cause was a holy act, and a right of purification of those who engaged in it.--- (Taken from "A People & A Nation" 8th Edition)

John Brown was raised by a Calvinistic family in which he founded the principle wrongdoings of slavery within his favorite passage of scripture, the Golden Rule. He raided Harpers (no apostrophe) Ferry Federal Armory in order to supply slaves with ammunition that he would free in "lightning raids." He intended on completing enough of these raids for a greater campaign and then raid Harpers Ferry to supply the freed slaves. Brown changed his plans though because he chose to attack a federal building first, in order to involve United States government troops against him to cause a greater dramatic effect. He trusted he would elude them like he did in Kansas during the Battle of Black Jack, but also believed that if he were defeated and killed in the attack on Harpers Ferry, he would attain a different type of victory for the fight against slavery. John Brown DID NOT attack Harpers Ferry because he believed that slavery would not end if there was no bloodshed. In fact, he believed that he would be able to free slaves without violence throughout the South, and treated his hostages in the Raid of Harpers Ferry remarkably well. Throughout the entire time the residents of Harpers Ferry cornered in the armory, the raiders intended to negotiate peacefully and had two separate occasions in which a white flag of surrender was presented to the drunken civilians of Harpers Ferry, both of which whose carriers were gunned down immediately. It was only when Brown was walking out of the Charlestown jail to his execution, he slipped a note to one of his guards that said, "I John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away, but with Blood. I had as I now think vainly flattered myself that without very muchbloodshed it might be done." (Evan Carton, Patriotic Treason: John Brown and the Soul of America)

Answer 2

John Brown believed that it was his purpose to fulfill "God's will on earth", which meant to him the abolishment of slavery at any cost. His plan was basically to have others slaves he'd free join him in violent rebellion after he had seized the arsenal and it's weapons. Many doubted his sanity, but nonetheless, the seized it in hopes to end slavery.

John Brown and his sons and 20 others did seize it, but were captured and hung. The revolt failed.

Answer 3

In 1859, abolitionist John Brown and his followers captured the Federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry Virginia. His purpose was to use the weapons and ammunition to stage a slave revolt. The plan never worked, no slaves were recruited. Brown was captured and hanged for treason.

Answer 4

He said God told him to. He intended to capture the weapons in the armory to arm the slaves and lead them in a rebellion.