I found this YouTube channel recently called the American Battlefield Trust and they took a look at John Brown's raid on a federal armory at Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. Back in October 1859 when theis raid took place West Virginia was actually part of Virginia and they didn't become a state until 1863 during the Civil War.
Anyway, I'm somewhat familiar with Harper's Ferry and John Brown as this was in an American history textbook perhaps as soon as 7th grade. Perhaps earlier but I can't entirely place it we had a legit "thick" history book by the time I went to 7th grade at Bennett School.
If you know nothing about John Brown I would like to share this video with you from Mr. Beat just last year. Mr. Beat a social studies teacher who hails from Kansas which is also where Brown was involved in fighting there over the slavery question. "Bleeding Kansas" was the name given for what was going on there when Kansas was a territory before it became a state.
The question about Brown in that vid, is Brown a hero or a terrorist? [VIDEO]
Anyway the American Battlefield Trust pays a visit to Harper's Ferry, WV and it's a great look at this very historic location. The raid took place before the states that made up the Confederate States of America seceded from the Union - including the state of Virginia where Harper's Ferry was located at the time incidentally. Brown wanted to strike a blow against slavery and incite a rebellion against the United States government of the day.
I really like how Dennis Frye who formerly worked at the Harper's Ferry Nat'l Park as a Ranger told the story of what happened on that fateful day and illustrating to us the scene where everything took place that Harper's Ferry is much different from the one in 1859 [VIDEO]
Another video to share with you Frye shows you the US Armory grounds at Harper's Ferry and takes you down to the boat ramp near the Potomac River and yes it flows by the nation's capital of Washington, DC. Anyway I wanted to share this with you to further set the scene there. [VIDEO]
OK and one final treat for you and in 2019 I took a train to Washington, DC on vacation and sat in a vacant sleeper accommodation and shot some video on my iPhone of the area around the Amtrak station there. You will be passing through Harper's Ferry, West Virginia on board Amtrak's Capitol Limited train. [VIDEO]
Here is one more video I won't share here, but feel free to watch here though it's pretty grim once you know his fate. Actually John Brown's activities were grim to say the least. He was involved with fighting and people died. Brown himself would be executed after being tried in a Virgina court for treason, murder, and inciting a slave rebellion. Allow me to note that these were not federal charges, these charges were prosecuted by Virginian authorities. He was executed in the nearby town of Charles Town.
Well the Civil War started in 1861 - you know the Confederacy fired on a Fort Sumter in South Carolina. An amendment to the US Constitution was ratified that abolished slavery in the United States - the 13th amendment. And it seems we're still sorting out the various racial issues that continue to persist in America.
An example of some of the things I would like to share with you on this blog and through my activities on YouTube. Perhaps one day I should stay in Harper's Ferry for one day and see some of the sights there. Take in the importance in American history of this site.
Perhaps you have an idea of where I should visit.
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