John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry is one of the defining events in U.S. history.

On October 16, 1859, he led a raid on the U.S. armory there. His plan was to take weapons from the armory and give them to enslaved people in the area, hoping they would rise up and fight for their freedom. At first, the raid succeeded, and they captured the armory. However, Brown and his followers were inexperienced in military tactics, and the uprising he'd hoped for didn’t happen. They were soon surrounded by local militia followed by U.S. Marines led by Robert E. Lee. After a final stand in a small firehouse, Brown and his group surrendered. Brown had lost 10 men, including one of his sons, and was wounded himself.

John Brown was tried for murder, treason, and insurrection and was convicted in late October 1859. He was sentenced to death and hanged on December 2, 1859. His execution shocked the North and South. In the South, he was seen as a dangerous villain, but in the North, he became a martyr for the anti-slavery cause. The song "John Brown's Body," which became popular during the Civil War, eventually became part of the patriotic anthem "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."