sparked feuds in the South and became loved by many in the North. His actions and words eventually helped bring about the war that would end slavery. In 1855, Brown and his sons moved to Kansas right after the territory was opened for the possibility of the expansion of slavery. Brown then joined the fight in this large area and made himself “captain” of the forces against slavery on a small creek. He led his men against the proslavery fighters when they raided the town of Lawrence, which happened to be antislavery. For two years he succeeded in leading antislavery forces in this relatively new territory, and had formed a small “army” by early 1958. Later that year, Brown met with his followers and proposed to start a slave rebellion by force in northern Virginia. Many people contributed funds and other financial support along with good wishes. In early 1959, he rented a farm near Harpers Ferry and began building up weapons for his assault. He then attacked the federal weapons arsenal at Harpers Ferry with nineteen of his followers and occupied for a short period of time. When Marines headed by Colonel Robert E. Lee (at the time) arrived, turmoil between the two sides broke out. Half of John’s followers were killed, and Brown was captured after a short struggle. The news of this courageous attack spread throughout the country and the North became motivated by his actions, while the South became livid. His execution then proved to be a mistake, for he was martyred and Northerners became even more heated about continuing to oppose slavery. While many Southerners became even more emotional because of this, many historians and encyclopedias believe that this boosted the North’s morale: “On December 2, 1859, Brown was hanged at Charles Town. His dignified conduct and the sincerity of his calm defense during the trial won him sympathy in the North and led him to be regarded as a martyr...
