On October 17th, 1859, a cohort of individuals initiated a raid of the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. They endeavored to arm African American slaves. Thereby, freeing them from their bondage. However, their plans were soon thwarted by a vastly superior force under the command of Robert E. Lee. Of the twenty-four zealots participating in the raid, all of them were either killed, runoff, or captured. Most importantly their leader, John Brown, a famed individual known for his outspoken affinity towards the slavery in the United States, was put on trial for treason. The trail brought forth a controversial issue hiding just below the skin of many individuals. Indeed, his trail gave a new meaning towards the abolitionist movement. Interestingly, the raid by itself was not the sole reason for this overnight revolution. His staunch belief in the abolishment of slavery and his willingness to die for his convictions created him into a figure of inspiration in the century and a half following his death. …show more content…
As the day quickly approached, Brown, according to Merrill Peterson, “knew that he had fulfilled his mission and martyrdom awaited him in death.” It was the notion of martyrdom that transformed Brown’s cause into the behemoth that would ultimately push the country towards a Civil War. His death at the hands of Virginia, a southern slave state and future home to the Capital of the Confederacy, spoke to the larger notion of confronting injustice and oppression with unyielding conviction. Nearly a century after his death, Civil Right activist, Malcom X, used John Brown as gold standard for the way people should treat African Americans. “If you are for . . . our people,” Malcom states, “then you have to be willing to do as old John Brown