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TOPIC:  Who was John Brown? Was he a martyr or a madman, a saint or the devil, a terrorist or a freedom fighter? Few individuals have stirred Americans like John Brown. In October 1859, he launched an attack on Harpers Ferry in an attempt to start a war to end slavery. Although Brown’s effort failed, did he fail? Did Brown’s soul go marching on? Harpers Ferry, VA, was Brown’s target because it was where the U.S. Arsenal stored 100,000 rifles and muskets. Brown and 18 soldiers successfully seized the unprotected government arsenal without a shot. However, Virginia militia entrapped Brown in the town 12 hours later, and U.S. Marines arrived to end the affair.

Under the temporary command of Lt. Col. Robert E. Lee, Marines captured Brown 36 hours after he launched his war. Brown was then tried at the county seat of Charles Town and found guilty of murder, treason, and inciting slave rebellion. Six weeks after his capture, Brown was executed on the scaffold. Before his execution, Brown handed his jailer his final note. “I, John Brown, am not quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away, but with blood.” Sixteen months later, the Civil War commenced, resulting in nearly 750,000 Americans’ deaths and the freedom of four million African Americans. 

SPEAKER:  Dennis E. Frye was the Chief Historian at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park for 20 years. Dennis is acclaimed for challenging conventional history and his provocative books, lectures, and tours. Author of 11 books and 112 articles, Frye’s most recent publications are:: Confluence: Harpers Ferry as Destiny; Antietam Shadows: Mystery, Myth & Machination; Harpers Ferry Under Fire; and September Suspense: Lincoln’s Union in Peril. Dennis has served as a consultant and guest historian for three Emmy-winning television programs, including PBS productions on John Brown, Maryland, in the Civil War and a History Channel production on the Battle of Antietam. In addition, Frye has appeared as a guest historian on A&E, Discovery, the Travel Channel, Fox News documentaries, and Voice of America. Dennis is renowned as a battlefield guide, leading tours for the Smithsonian, National Geographic, and various leadership institutes. Frye is a nationally recognized Civil War scholar and battlefield preservationist, and he is a co-founder and past president of today’s American Battlefield Trust and the Save Historic Antietam Foundation.

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