We all know of John Brown and his unsuccessful raid on Harper's Ferry. Let's say that he either chooses another target, or changes his initial plan of attack, and has much more success, actually starting a slave revolt. How would this plan out on the eve of the Civil War?
John Brown starts a slave revolt
- Thread starter Leistungsfähiger Amerikan
- Start date
Not Well...
I can't think of a PoD by which Brown and his group can possibly put together a big enough, sufficiently prepared group to handle what will surely come down their collective throats. There will be hundreds, and if necessary, thousands, of militia with comparable small arms and with trained leadership. Regular army units (led by Robert E. Lee OTL!) and military academy cadets will join in, and some of them will bring artillery. The northern states will not help the rebellion and may send their own militia. The only difference will be the body count.
Unlike with, say, Haiti, slave rebellions on the North American continent never succeeded. There were always more whites than slaves, and there were no natural barriers behind which the rebels could consolidate.
I can't think of a PoD by which Brown and his group can possibly put together a big enough, sufficiently prepared group to handle what will surely come down their collective throats. There will be hundreds, and if necessary, thousands, of militia with comparable small arms and with trained leadership. Regular army units (led by Robert E. Lee OTL!) and military academy cadets will join in, and some of them will bring artillery. The northern states will not help the rebellion and may send their own militia. The only difference will be the body count.
Unlike with, say, Haiti, slave rebellions on the North American continent never succeeded. There were always more whites than slaves, and there were no natural barriers behind which the rebels could consolidate.
David S Poepoe
Banned
It wouldn't get very far nor last long. Brown simply is in the wrong place and the US Army will run him down.
Ok, from here and reading the other thread, I can see this will end poorly. Still, say he achieves minor success, which is still far more than OTL, and manages to escape into the Virginia hills with weapons and freed slaves, forcing militia to hunt him down. How would this effect popular opinion in the North and South? It would probably massive increase sectional tensions.
Actually there are plenty of topographical or geographic features which could be used by revolting slaves.
Honestly always been surprised that the US never developed a populace of "Maroons" much like Jamaica.