 Four
states and four counties have begun preparations to commemorate
the 2009 sesquicentennial anniversary of abolitionist John Brown's
raid on the arsenal at Harpers Ferry. The John Brown 150th Anniversary
Quad-State Committee, comprised of various historians and officials
from West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland, are planning
and coordinating a range of commemoration events.
Officials
responsible for organizing the commemorations say that events
will include re-enactments, dramatic productions, art exhibits,
academic lectures, special tours and much more.
 On
the evening of Oct. 16, 1859, Brown led a group of abolitionists
on a six-mile march from the Kennedy Farm in Washington County,
Md., across the railroad bridge into Harpers Ferry and seized
control of the town in order to steal weapons from the old federal
armory so they could be used in the cause against slavery. But
because a passing train reached Frederick, Md., a telegram notifying
the army of the attack enabled soldiers to respond before Brown
could accomplish his goal.
In
December 1859, he was hanged in Charles Town for his attack. Historians
agree that this was the spark that began the Civil War. Before
John Brown's famous raid, negotiations between the differing North-South
factions might have been possible. However, after the attack -
and Brown's trial and hanging - emotions ran so high that armed
conflict became an inevitable outcome.
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