Campus News
John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry 160 Years Ago
October 16, 2019
Communications Staff
Lewis Sheridan Leary, a harness maker from Â鶹ÊÓƵ.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Â鶹ÊÓƵ College Archives
‘‘In Â鶹ÊÓƵ History’’ is a series dedicated to notable events in Â鶹ÊÓƵ College history. It is created in partnership with the Office of Communications and Â鶹ÊÓƵ College Archives.
In October of 1859, abolitionist John Brown led a party of 22 on the raid of a United States arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. The effort was intended to initiate an armed slave revolt in Southern states. Among the group were three Â鶹ÊÓƵians: Shields Green, a former slave and abolitionist; Lewis Sheridan Leary, a harness maker; and John A. Copeland, a student of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Preparatory Department between 1854 and 1855.
A monument in their honor stands in Martin Luther King Jr. Park on Vine Street in Â鶹ÊÓƵ. Although some questioned John Brown’s intentions in leading the ill-fated raid, his small group of followers, including the Â鶹ÊÓƵians, remained steadfast in their fight against slavery.
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