Was Harpers Ferry Successful?

16, 1859, abolitionist John Brown led 21 men down the road to Harpers Ferry in what is today West Virginia. The plan was to take the town's federal armory and, ultimately, ignite a nationwide uprising against slavery. The raid failed, but six years later, Brown's dream was realized and slavery became illegal.

Was the Harpers Ferry raid a success?

Although the raid failed, it inflamed sectional tensions and raised the stakes for the 1860 presidential election. Brown's raid helped make any further accommodation between North and South nearly impossible and thus became an important impetus of the Civil War.

Why did Harpers Ferry fail?

So, in October 1859, Brown and 19 other men took over a railroad station, musket factory and rifle works in Harper's Ferry. ... 2, 1859. The raid was a failure at starting a massive slave revolt, and it encouraged fears of a slave uprising and bolstered future Confederate militias.