Visiting Harpers Ferry in West Virginia last summer, I would like to show you a few impressions from that place full of dramatic history. As a follow up on my previous post on the subject “Black History Month”, I would concentrate on abolitionist John Brown’s final fight for enslaved people to be free.

John Brown’s Raid Illustrated

From History.com:

In 1859, Brown and 21 of his followers attacked and occupied the federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry. Their goal was to capture supplies and use them to arm a slave rebellion. Brown was captured during the raid and later hanged, but not before becoming an anti-slavery icon.

The story of the fire-engine house “The John Brown Fort”. It survived the Civil War, was moved to Chicago in 1891 and finally back in Harpers Ferry in 1968

Inside the John Brown Fort

“John Brown Fort” at historic Harpers Ferry

A memorial plate on the John Brown Fort from 1918

A picture of John Brown at the old railway station at Harpers Ferrry

1850 Congress admits California as a free state… strengthens the Fugitive Slave Act. Harriet Tubman begins her journeys into the South to lead slaves to freedom in the North

In one of the small museums in the historical town a photo of Harriet Tubman, who was the most famous conductor for the “Underground Railroad”. She must have had been in the area helping slaves to escape from their owners. Both she and John Brown gave their lives for the freedom of enslaved black people. He was hanged for treason after the raid, and she as a child went in between an aggressive slave owner and a boy who was about to get something heavy thrown at him as a punishment. Harriet suffered from severe headache and sleeping disorder because of head trauma. Despite this, she was in her nineties when she died.

One of the friendly Rangers in front of the “John Brown Fort.”

In the historical sites in the town, you meet National Park Rangers who answer all the questions you have. I admire their sincere interest in making history alive for visitors.

Active holiday on the river at Harpers Ferry

If you have more time to spend in the area, there are nature walking paths to explore among the two Potomac and Shenandoah rivers. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail is 2,200 Miles long and stretches from Georgia to Maine.

Without our newly found family members in Virginia, we would never have known this precious spot.  My husband Henry has a blog post on this visit too. If anybody should be interested in reading it. Henry wrote this on in English. Usually, his posts are in Danish, our native language.