as an effort by armed abolitionist John Brown to initiate an armedslave revolt in 1859 by ... They would free more slaves, obtain food, horses and hostages, and destroy ... Gue was a Quaker who believed that Brown and his men would be killed.
John Brown (1800-1859) was an abolitionist who supported armed struggle against existing laws and government in order to end slavery. In October 1859, Brown led a raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. The intent was to arm slaves to fight for their freedom and set in motion a slave revolt that would spread across other regions in the South. The effort was unsuccessful and Brown was hanged for treason against Virginia.
