John Brown

Americas

After the Kansas-Nebraska Act, thousands of settlers rushed to Kansas to vote on slavery — and then started fighting each other. Pro-slavery and anti-slavery…

• 1856 CE

  Bleeding Kansas Violence

  After the Kansas-Nebraska Act, thousands of settlers rushed to Kansas to vote on slavery — and then started fighting each other. Pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups attacked towns and farms, leaving more than 50 people dead.

• 1859 CE

  John Brown Raids Harpers Ferry

  Abolitionist John Brown led a small group to raid a government weapons depot in Virginia, hoping to start a large slave rebellion. The raid failed and Brown was captured, put on trial, and hanged.