During the Civil War, Harpers Ferry became a refuge for many who had escaped slavery or been freed by Union forces. The sheer number of people arriving, twice the town's population, shows the urgency and desperation behind their flight to freedom.

The conditions in the contraband camps were dire. People who had already suffered under the horrors of enslavement were now enduring the challenges of illness, overcrowding, and uncertainty. Yet, it was also a moment where many experienced paid labor for the first time, even if it was under the grim circumstances of war and hardship.

The Confederate threat was ever-present, as seen when General Stonewall Jackson’s forces captured the town and its garrison in 1862. The scene of freed people being rounded up and driven south like cattle is one of the more chilling moments in the town's history. This stark reminder that freedom could be fleeting underscores the vulnerability of those who had gained it, depending on the outcome of the war.

By the war's end, many of the formerly enslaved individuals who had fought, worked, and survived would help shape the future of the country.