The Influence Of John Brown's Raid On Harpers Ferry

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On October 16, 1859, John Brown, an ordinary yet determined man, led a small army of free white and black men into Virginia, and with this decision effectively changed the course of American history. He entered the raid with a rebellion in mind; his immediate goal was to capture the weapons in the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, but the ultimate goal was to use these weapons to start a massive slave revolt in the South. Although the rebellion appeared to be a small one, killing only ten people—two townspeople and eight of Brown’s men—the raid on Harpers Ferry had vast consequences. His leadership and decisive actions influenced several aspects of society as a whole. With John Brown’s raid of Harpers Ferry came immense change socially, …show more content…
Beginning in a factory town in Virginia often called “the gateway to the largest slave state in the country,” the raid on Harpers Ferry had great influence on society, spreading outward into the country and creating a deepening divide between the Northern and Southern territory of the United States. The North and South held contrasting beliefs and opinions on what happened on the night of the attack that he led. In the North, he received endless support and admiration for his courage in leading such a bold move. The people of the North celebrated his bravery: “bells tolled, guns fired salutes, and huge crowds gathered to hear fiery speakers denounce the South.” In addition, many northerners viewed John Brown as a “martyr in a noble cause” who in essence “strengthened abolitionist feeling in the North.” As the martyr of the time, John Brown was distinguished “in song and legend,” becoming a “spirit leading thousands to risk their lives against slavery.” However, a few Northerners, mostly wage laborers, found John Brown’s vision of an end to slavery and the establishment of a society of racial equality as threatening; the idea of “millions of illiterate, unskilled African Americans living amongst them, competing with them for jobs, and driving down wages” was not appealing to working Northerners. On the other hand, the people of the South were largely against the idea …show more content…
Aside from the social differences between the North and South that created division across the nation, the revolt collectively changed cultural aspects in society. As people were placed in situations in which they must be resolved in their belief systems, their lifestyles were impacted. With these resolutions came growing strength in feelings of nationalism, or American pride, resulting in an emergence of societal improvements as well as tensions. For instance, later that year the nation “ratified the first change to the U.S. Constitution since 1804,” creating the Thirteenth Amendment that abolished slavery, as well as the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, ratified a few years later, which “extended full citizenship rights to blacks.” Also, a black school was introduced in 1867; it became Storer College, an institution “devoted to training black teachers.” Unfortunately, although Harpers Ferry became a symbol and “shrine in the struggle for civil rights” beginning with the Civil War, the Jim Crow Laws took hold in the 1880s and 1890s, enforcing racial segregation in the South. However, black activists recognized John Brown for his brave actions, declaring, “Here on the scene of John Brown’s martyrdom, we reconsecrate ourselves, our honor, our property to the final emancipation of the race which John Brown
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