I think for the first time, I am at a loss on how to approach this part of John Brown’s life. I find it quite comical that over ten blogs later, and I am just now getting to arguably the most important part of Brown’s life. To be honest, if you know nothing of Harpers Ferry or have never been, it is difficult to understand the story of John Brown’s raid. Harpers Ferry’s role in American history starts long before John Brown was ever born, and continued to shape history after he died. It is one of those few places in the United States that seems like a magnet for dramatic events. In this blog, I will do my best to explain the history of Harpers Ferry before John Brown’s raid so that you will be able to understand better why Brown may have chosen this spot.
Geographically, it is quite a fantastic spot to see. It is the halfway point in the Appalachian trail and seems encased by the Blue Ridge Mountains. It sits at the intersection of the Potomac and Shenandoah river in West Virginia. Robert Harper recognized the potential for a business ferrying people from Virginia to Maryland, so he purchased some of the lands and was granted the right to operate a ferry in 1761. A town was then settled here called “Shenandoah Falls at Mr. Harper’s Ferry”, and was eventually shortened to Harpers Ferry [1].
George Washington passed through Harpers Ferry in 1785, and because of his familiarity with the spot, he chose it as a place to build a federal armory in 1794. With the armory being built, this brought gun manufacturing industry to Harpers Ferry. The town turned into a hub for mass production of military arms. Over a 60 year period, over 600,000 firearms were produced. They started out producing just muskets in 1802, but over the course of eight years, they were producing thousands of pistols and rifles [2].
In 1811, Captain John H. Hall created a .69 caliber breech-loading rifle called the Hall Rifle. This rifle was fearsome for its time because it could shoot up to 1500 yards away, and if you were a skilled marksman could shoot ten rounds a minute. Breechloader means that you insert the shell into the chamber, rather than in the muzzle. However, what was truly revolutionary about the rifle was not the type, but how it was made. Captain Hall designed it so that non-skilled workers could make it. He developed what he called the “uniformity principle,” what we would call today as interchangeable parts or machine precision. The US government agreed to purchase thousands of his rifles in 1819, and most of them were manufactured there at Harpers Ferry (3).
John Brown chose this spot for the strategic location of the federal armory, but also because of the Mountains. He thought that the Allegheny Mountains range was a gift from God, and he would be able to retreat into them and engage slave-holders in guerilla warfare. He also chose it because of the insane amount of weapons and ammunition that were stored there. In my next blog, I will talk about the John Brown raid there at Harpers Ferry.
[1] http://www.wvculture.org/history/archives/jnobrown.html
[2] https://www.nps.gov/hafe/learn/historyculture/harpers-ferry-armory-and-arsenal.htm
[3] https://www.guns.com/news/2011/02/08/harpers-ferry-america-begins-with-a-bang
Harpers Ferry seems like it would be a beautiful place to visit in the warmer months when the plants and whatnot are at their peak. The way you characterized the location almost gave it its own sort of spirit, and the sheer amount of history that took place there is truly awe-inspiring.
Harpers Ferry looks like an absolutely beautiful location! I’ve never even really heard about it before, and I enjoyed learning more about the history. You left it with a bit of a cliffhanger so I’m looking forward to reading about John Brown’s role there!
This overview of Harper’s Ferry and the history that abounds within it is fascinating. In the past I had only ever heard of the place in conjunction with John Brown, leading me to believe that it was a location of little consequence beforehand. I assume I can speak for the rest of the students in our group when I say this post acts as an informative reality check.
I love love love Harper’s Ferry, I’m planning on going back this summer again to go through everything. And to take a dip in the water nearby. Did you hear the bridge was destroyed? my dad told me that but I never looked into it… is it true? if so that’s upsetting it was stunning.
I absolutely love the landscape of West Virginia. I haven’t been to harpers ferry yet, but I have spent a decent amount of time in the western part of the state. I love how each week you take an in depth look at one specific aspect about John Browns raid, and I am excited for when you finally start to break down the actual raid itself.