Prelude to the Civil War; Four states mark the 150th anniversary of John Brown’s raid

johnbrownraid.org ^ | March/April 2009 | Theresa Gawlas Medoff

[Liz]

A series of reenactments, dramatic productions, family activities and special tours are scheduled this year as Civil War sites in West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania commemorate the 150th anniversary of abolitionist John Brown’s October 1859 raid on the arsenal at Harpers Ferry. Although the raid itself failed, it succeeded in exacerbating the divide between North and South, pushing the nation closer to civil war.

“Before the raid, negotiations and a compromise between North and South might have been possible; however, after the attack—and Brown’s trial and hanging—emotions ran so high that armed conflict became inevitable,” says Tom Riford of the Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

At the time, Brown was denounced on both sides of the Mason–Dixon Line as a terrorist and an enemy of the Union, but others just as passionately revered him as a martyr. Brown inspires those same polarized opinions among today’s visitors to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (nps.gov/hafe), says Todd Bolton, events committee chair for the John Brown Sesquicentennial Quad-State Committee (johnbrownraid.org). “Our job at Harpers Ferry is to present the facts and the history, and let people decide for themselves,” he says.

There will be plenty of opportunities this year to learn about Brown, beginning on April 18 with the first Signature Event of the sesquicentennial: “Prelude to History: The Wedding of Virginia Kennedy” at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. The day’s attractions include a dramatic monologue about the raid told from the perspective of the wife of raider John Cook. Visitors can also enjoy period music, youth activities and tours of the Lower Town at Harpers Ferry, which has been preserved as it appeared during the Civil War era.

The town of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, lies at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, bordering Maryland and Virginia. The 3,500-acre National Park extends into all three states. Brown had his northern headquarters in Pennsylvania, the fourth member of the quad-state committee. On May 22, the John Brown House in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, will be rededicated and reopened after a major renovation.

The Kennedy Farmhouse in Samples Manor, Maryland, staging place for the raid, will host a rare open house with tours and demonstrations July 12. Frederick County, Maryland, attracts the spotlight August 8–9 for its Militia and Fire Company Days, with displays of antique fire-fighting equipment. Other events happen throughout the summer and fall, including regular ranger-guided tours of Brown-related sites in the National Park and surrounding areas.

The centerpiece of the sesquicentennial observation takes place in the Harpers Ferry area October 16–18, 150 years to the day after the raid and subsequent siege. Following a twilight reenactment Friday of Brown’s six-mile march to Harpers Ferry, the commemoration continues on Saturday and Sunday with a full slate of music, living history, family activities and ranger-guided programs.

Because of the significance of the raid, the John Brown Sesquicentennial is regarded as a prelude to the Civil War Sesquicentennial, which the nation will observe from 2011 to 2015.

—Theresa Gawlas Medoff

Learn more about the Civil War and the nation’s sesquicentennial plans at cwar.nps.gov/civilwar/abcivwarSesqInit.htm. The information in this story was accurate when it was published in the March/April 2009 issue of AAA World, but dates, times and prices may have changed since then. We suggest you verify such details directly with the listed establishments before making travel plans.

Email: info@johnbrownraid.org

[TexConfederate1861]

No argument there. But in 1861 it was LEGAL and the law of the land. And by our standards today, slavery IS wrong. In that day, there were many who thought differently.

[TexConfederate1861]

Don’t compare the Nazi’s to Southerners. Your ignorance is showing. There were slaves in Northern states as well. I suggest you get an education, because you obviously don’t know your history if you think that war was only about slavery. No. Slavery needed to end, but not at the expense of 180,000 lives.

[freema]

In that day and now, many think differently-that slavery is perpetuated by animals is inhuman, legal or not.

[freema]

HI!

Curiosity killed the cat.

[freema]

I guess one could say Brown was kind of like an abortion clinic bomber with a little more bang.

Just sayin’.

[PurpleMan]

If the shoe fits.

“Slavery needed to end, but not at the expense of 180,000 lives.”

Hmm. Naziism needed to end, but not at the risk of 18,000,000 military deaths and 23,000,000 civilian deaths.

Glad you agree with the rest.

[PurpleMan]

I’m glad you support abortion on demand throughout the whole term since that is the law of the land, too.

[Republic_of_Secession.]

Nice try but Virgina / Tennessee / North Carolina & Arkansas seceded only AFTER & the original states seceded & after hostilities started because they saw North's response as un-constitutional & the Morill Tariff was what spurred the Southern Nationalist movement - without which the CSA wold never have gotten off the ground as the average impoverished Southron would never have defended their country if all that was at stake was slavery especially considering that most Southerners did not own slaves [ only 6 % of the Southern population did as most Southerners were poor ] & that a lot of White Southerners were only a few generations away from being slaves themselves as the first slaves in North America were White. The election of Lincoln was hardy a threat to the slave owners as he had promised not to interfere with slavery having no intention of even doing so. Notice that he passed the so called Emancipation Proclamation only as a war measure late in the game & it only applied to areas he had no control over while he allowed slavery to continue within his own jurisdiction in the North. Lincoln was the far left tyrant of his day who was the precursor to Hitler / Stalin / Mao & Pol Pot.

[Republic_of_Secession.]

Nice try but Virgina / Tennessee / North Carolina & Arkansas seceded only AFTER & the original states seceded & after hostilities started because they saw North's response as un-constitutional & the Morill Tariff was what spurred the Southern Nationalist movement - without which the CSA wold never have gotten off the ground as the average impoverished Southron would never have defended their country if all that was at stake was slavery especially considering that most Southerners did not own slaves [ only 6 % of the Southern population did as most Southerners were poor ] & that a lot of White Southerners were only a few generations away from being slaves themselves as the first slaves in North America were White. The election of Lincoln was hardy a threat to the slave owners as he had promised not to interfere with slavery having no intention of even doing so. Notice that he passed the so called Emancipation Proclamation only as a war measure late in the game & it only applied to areas he had no control over while he allowed slavery to continue within his own jurisdiction in the North. Lincoln was the far left tyrant of his day who was the precursor to Hitler / Stalin / Mao & Pol Pot.

[Republic_of_Secession.]

Nice try but Virgina / Tennessee / North Carolina & Arkansas seceded only AFTER & the original states seceded & after hostilities started because they saw North's response as un-constitutional & the Morill Tariff was what spurred the Southern Nationalist movement - without which the CSA wold never have gotten off the ground as the average impoverished Southron would never have defended their country if all that was at stake was slavery especially considering that most Southerners did not own slaves [ only 6 % of the Southern population did as most Southerners were poor ] & that a lot of White Southerners were only a few generations away from being slaves themselves as the first slaves in North America were White. The election of Lincoln was hardy a threat to the slave owners as he had promised not to interfere with slavery having no intention of even doing so. Notice that he passed the so called Emancipation Proclamation only as a war measure late in the game & it only applied to areas he had no control over while he allowed slavery to continue within his own jurisdiction in the North. Lincoln was the far left tyrant of his day who was the precursor to Hitler / Stalin / Mao & Pol Pot.

[wolfcreek]

Well, Barry does pride his self as being the next *Lincoln*.

He may well being goading us into such actions.

[Non-Sequitur]

Let me begin by pointing out that punctuation is your friend.

Morill Tariff was what spurred the Southern Nationalist movement

The Morill Tariff first was introduced in the spring of 1860, 8 months before Lincoln's election. Why didn't the Southern states secede then?

- without which the CSA wold never have gotten off the ground as the average impoverished Southron would never have defended their country if all that was at stake was slavery especially considering that most Southerners did not own slaves [ only 6 % of the Southern population did as most Southerners were poor ]

It's true only about 6% of all Southerners owned slaves. When I was growing up the family car was in my father's name so one could say that only 20% of the family owned a car. But we all derived benefits from his car ownership. Likewise with slavery. Those slave owners, overwhelmingly, had families. Wives and children who took benefit from the slaves. If you look at the 1860 census data and compare slave owners with the number of families you would find that in some states the percentage of slave-holding families approached 50%. In the original rebelling states close to 40% of all families owned slaves. Many of those who did not took economic benefit from those who did - through doing business with them. So while it is easy for someone like you to question why the South would go to war to defend an institution that only 6% of the population participated in, when you look at the actual statistics it's easier to see why they would go to war to defend an institution that almost half their population directly benefited from.

The election of Lincoln was hardy a threat to the slave owners as he had promised not to interfere with slavery having no intention of even doing so.

Lincoln promised not to interfere with slavery where it currently existed. He was completely opposed to its expansion into the territories, and would have taken all steps possible to ban it. That's what the South found so upsetting.

Notice that he passed the so called Emancipation Proclamation only as a war measure late in the game & it only applied to areas he had no control over while he allowed slavery to continue within his own jurisdiction in the North.

As President of the United States, Lincoln had authority over the whole country - those areas in rebellion as well as those which were not.

Lincoln was the far left tyrant of his day who was the precursor to Hitler / Stalin / Mao & Pol Pot.

Yeah, whatever.

[TexConfederate1861]

I do NOT. But I also don’t believe in MURDERING abortionist doctors, which by YOUR logic should be done.

[TexConfederate1861]

Your ignorance knows no bounds. You must be from New Orleans, because most people that I know from Louisiana are better educated. There was no other recourse than to fight in WWII. Until John Brown, there were other options that were peaceful.

[TexConfederate1861]

AGAIN. You need to go back to school.
And people wonder about our education system...............

[freema]

skool

[fella]

Per #13;

I can make a determination about whether a celebratory remembrance is deserved. It is not.

I must disagree. Our history must be remembered,no matter how befuddling or sordid but the facts should be seen plainly so that we do not repeat the mistakes of our fore-bearers.

[Ditto]

I find it quite odd that Brown was able to contain his anti-slavery passion and refrain from attacks on Union states that still allowed slavery. Some are more equal than others.

When Brown lead his raid, they were all "Union States". It was not until over a year later that secession started.

[PurpleMan]

“There was no other recourse than to fight in WWII.”

Barbara Tuchman Will Durant, you’re not.

Enjoy your living in your ignorant bigotry.

Out.

BTW: Stephen Ambrose? Where did considered home?

[bushfamfan]

And it was still treason against the mother govt. The United States was British citizens and the country was extremely divided with most remaining Loyalists. But it’s funny you find the cause of rebelling against a gov’t ok for taxes but not in the cause of true slavery. Hitler and the Nazis were elected and ruled Germany. It would have been nice to have seen a John Brown rise up there.