"This scene was worth a trip across the Atlantic" - Thomas Jefferson

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, is located at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers, some seventy miles from Washington D.C. Located in the mountains, it was the ideal strategic location for the Continental Arsenal after the American Revolutionary War. The rivers were shallow enough that large British naval ships could not negotiate them. Narrow straits and treacherous rapids further complicated the trip for smaller vessels, and the surrounding mountains were highly defensible. Thus, Harpers Ferry became what one might call the first arsenal of American democracy.

Brown chose Harpers Ferry for the same reasons that George Washington built the first Federal Arsenal there. Inspired by the story of Spartacus, the Roman gladiator who ignited a legendary slave rebellion within the Roman Empire, Brown planned to use the arsenal to equip an army of escaped slaves. From Harpers Ferry, he would then carry the fight to the southern slave states.

Today, Harpers Ferry is a popular tourist destination which features epic scenery combined with a rich historical legacy spanning the turbulent period from the American Revolution to the end of the Civil War.

Left, an artist’s impression of Harpers Ferry. The John Brown Fort, located in the Harpers Ferry firehouse, was moved after suffering flood damage. The images below depict John Brown holding a hostage and the Maryland militia storming the fort to end the crisis.