John Brown was a radical [[abolitionist]] who fervently believed in the use of violence to end [[slavery]] in the United States. Born on May 9, 1800, in Torrington, Connecticut, Brown was raised in a devoutly religious family that opposed slavery on moral grounds. His father, Owen Brown, was an active participant in the Underground Railroad, which helped to instill in John a deep commitment to the abolitionist cause. In the 1830s and 1840s, Brown worked as a farmer, tanner, and wool merchant, living in various states, including Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. He married twice and fathered twenty children, several of whom became involved in his abolitionist activities. ## Bleeding Kansas Brown's commitment to the violent abolition of slavery became apparent during the "Bleeding Kansas" conflict of the mid-1850s. This conflict was sparked by the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which allowed settlers in the Kansas Territory to decide whether to permit slavery or not. In response, pro- and anti-slavery factions flooded the territory, leading to violent confrontations. In May 1856, after a pro-slavery mob sacked the town of Lawrence, Kansas, Brown and a group of followers, including four of his sons, carried out the brutal murder of five pro-slavery settlers at Pottawatomie Creek. This act of violence further polarized the situation in Kansas and heightened tensions between the North and the South. ## Harpers Ferry raid Brown gained national attention and notoriety for his actions in Kansas, but his most infamous act came in 1859 when he led a raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia). Brown's goal was to seize the weapons stored there and distribute them to enslaved people, sparking a massive rebellion that would overthrow the institution of slavery. On October 16, 1859, Brown and a small group of followers, including several of his sons, attacked Harpers Ferry. Although they initially managed to capture the arsenal, local [[militia]] and U.S. Marines under the command of Colonel Robert E. Lee quickly surrounded them. After a two-day standoff, Brown and his surviving followers were captured. John Brown was subsequently put on trial and charged with treason, murder, and conspiring with slaves to rebel. He was found guilty on all counts and was executed by hanging on December 2, 1859. Brown's actions at Harpers Ferry and his subsequent trial and execution further polarized the nation, with many Northerners viewing him as a martyr for the cause of abolition and Southerners regarding him as a dangerous terrorist. His raid on Harpers Ferry is often considered a key event in the lead-up to the American [[Civil War]], which began less than two years later.