Which significant event took place at Harpers Ferry in 1859?

In 1859, John Brown led a raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, aiming to initiate a slave uprising by seizing weapons to arm enslaved people. The raid was intended to ignite a rebellion against slavery but ultimately failed when Brown and his men were captured by U.S. Marines led by Robert E. Lee. Brown's actions heightened tensions between the North and South, contributing to the growing divide that would lead to the Civil War. His trial and subsequent execution turned him into a martyr for the abolitionist cause.