The Harper Ferry Raid is a pivotal event in American history that had significant implications for the nation’s abolitionist movement and the Civil War. It serves as an excellent teaching topic for students in middle school and high school who are learning about the causes and consequences of the Civil War.
To start, teachers should provide students with a brief overview of the raid, explaining when it occurred, who was involved, and why it was important. Students should be introduced to John Brown, a fervent abolitionist who planned and executed the raid on Harper Ferry armory in 1859. Brown was hoping to lead a slave rebellion and establish a free state in Virginia.
Teachers can then divide students into groups and provide them with different perspectives on the event. For example, one group can research the views of Brown and his supporters, while another group can examine the perspectives of the government and the slaveholders. Students can then present their findings to the class, discussing the issues that divided the nation and led to the Civil War.
Teachers can also use primary sources, such as newspaper articles, speeches, and personal letters from the time, to help students understand the events leading up to the raid and the ramifications of the event. Students can analyze these sources and discuss how different people viewed the raid and what it meant for the nation’s future.
Another approach is to have students examine the legacy of the raid and how it influenced future events in American history. For example, teachers can assign students to read about the influence of the Harper Ferry Raid on the Emancipation Proclamation, the impact it had on the abolitionist movement, and how it contributed to the eventual outbreak of the Civil War.
