John Brown: Utilizing Violence to Express Racial Injustice

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Beginning October 16, 1859, in West Virginia, white abolitionist John Brown led a raid of twenty-one armed men through Harpers Ferry military arsenal. Brown believed an act of violence was the only solution to communicate his firm beliefs against slavery. Brown’s mutiny made agreements between the North and South nearly impossible. However, the raid was pivotal in eradicating slavery six years later and paved the way for future civil rights activists.
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