One of the reasons why some northerners labeled John Brown as a martyr was his actions during the raid on Harpers Ferry. Brown led a group of abolitionists in an attempt to seize the federal armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in 1859. Although the raid ultimately failed and Brown was captured and executed, his willingness to use violence in his fight against slavery resonated with some northerners who sympathized with his cause. They saw his actions as heroic and admired his determination to fight for the freedom of enslaved African Americans.
