AHC/WI: Successful John Brown Raid

Is a successful Harpers Ferry Raid ASB? If it’s not, how could it be possible? If it’s successful, what are the broader implications for American politics at the time?

Rules:

The POD can be no later than 1856. However, if only possible with an earlier POD, then try to keep it within the 1850s.
It doesn’t actually have to occur at Harpers Ferry. It just needs to be a plan to spark a slave rebellion across the South.
The actual event must take place between 1858 and the 1860 presidential election.
I can’t think of any others, but if you’re confused, I can clarify.
 

SwampTiger

Banned
After the Haitian revolution, at the latest, with its massacres and bloodshed, the primary goal of Southern militias was to quickly stamp out any attempt at rebellion. John Brown was half a century too late to have any reasonable chance.
 
After the Haitian revolution, at the latest, with its massacres and bloodshed, the primary goal of Southern militias was to quickly stamp out any attempt at rebellion. John Brown was half a century too late to have any reasonable chance.

I think the bigger issue is that even IF the raid is successful at repelling the Virginia Militia... you just attacked a FEDERAL armory. At some point the US army and other militias who's cause is basic security and national Soverginity as well as broader public opinion will turn against Brown, particularly if he continues taking uncompromising and violent initiatives.
 
I think the bigger issue is that even IF the raid is successful at repelling the Virginia Militia... you just attacked a FEDERAL armory. At some point the US army and other militias who's cause is basic security and national Soverginity as well as broader public opinion will turn against Brown, particularly if he continues taking uncompromising and violent initiatives.

Note: the attack doesn’t have to actually be at Harpers Ferry.
 
Note: the attack doesn’t have to actually be at Harpers Ferry.

Then I'd suggest fixing your OP to reflect that. Right now it talks about the Harper's Ferry Raid

Be that as it may, such a raid target would still have to be on a location that's A) Near enough to a sufficent slave population to produce a critical level uprising. B) Sufficently well stocked with military grade arms, powder, and ammo to arm such an insurrection. Does anybody know if such a target?
 

SwampTiger

Banned
Well,it would not be a Federal armory. So, you need a state armory, near enough to a large restive slave population. New Orleans, Charleston, or Savannah may provide the required conditions. Brown would need some military training personnel to teach the rebelling slaves the basics, how to load and fire a gun, that they must obey orders, not to kill Brown and his men...

Sorry, I only see a large destructive riot. Haiti worked because of the large differential between the planters and their armed enforcers and the rebellious slave population. It is instructive to note the rebelling slaves were quite willing to attack one another when they ran out of planters and other white, free black and creole targets. Most slaves used machetes and similar tools in the Haitian rising.

The Jamaican rebellions petered out after a few months, with surviving fugitive slaves fleeing into the hills. The John Brown rebels will likely have little access to the hinterland.
 
Well,it would not be a Federal armory. So, you need a state armory, near enough to a large restive slave population. New Orleans, Charleston, or Savannah may provide the required conditions. Brown would need some military training personnel to teach the rebelling slaves the basics, how to load and fire a gun, that they must obey orders, not to kill Brown and his men...

Sorry, I only see a large destructive riot. Haiti worked because of the large differential between the planters and their armed enforcers and the rebellious slave population. It is instructive to note the rebelling slaves were quite willing to attack one another when they ran out of planters and other white, free black and creole targets. Most slaves used machetes and similar tools in the Haitian rising.

The Jamaican rebellions petered out after a few months, with surviving fugitive slaves fleeing into the hills. The John Brown rebels will likely have little access to the hinterland.

Hmm... if you're willing to strech out the POD a little and strech viability MAYBE you could get New Orleans to work if Brown could get in contact with the Haitain government and convince the Emperor to send him military attaches rather than try to re-launch his campaign to conquer the Dominicans (Maybe you get an earlier appeal to Spain on behalf of the country to reclaim colonial sovereignty over the island to protect it from getting overrun by a return campaign, and the Spaniards accept?). They have experienced troops and commander who could viably teach run-away slaves, and would have the protection of the delta marshlands to establish training camps in, which would allow Brown to establish a larger initial raiding group as well. Still highly unlikely to end up succeeding, but its the highest odds you'd probably get.
 
From my understanding of the events, one of the problems was numbers. John Brown figured that if the word was spread, he'd be able to amass support and use the weapons available to arm the hundreds of slaves. The problem was, the information wasn't spread far, and because of that very few joined him. Perhaps a POD would be having Harriet Tubman being able to join the raid or be able to drum up support on nearby plantations, or maybe even removing Frederick Douglass' doubts of the raid.
 
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