Question
CREATE A POLICE REPORT
PROJECT SUMMARY
In the mid 1800s, tensions between North and South were running high. Cultural, economic,
and constitutional differences fueled the fighting. Slavery was one of the major issues leading
to tension between the North and South. People felt so strongly about the issue that some
resorted to violence. John Brown was an abolitionist who wanted to help slaves by giving them
guns so they could rebel against their masters.
Process:
• Students work individually.
• Read and learn about John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry.
• Create a police report of the incident to document the event.
• Discuss, reflect on, and evaluate your learning experience.
Things to research:
Who was John Brown? What was located at Harpers Ferry? Why did John Brown raid Harpers
Ferry? Who helped him? Who opposed him? What was the outcome of the raid? What related
events preceded the raid on Harpers Ferry?
Use your research to determine:
• What were some of the issues in the United States that led up to the Civil War?
• How was the raid on Harpers Ferry related to the Civil War?
How to present your findings:
Create a police report that includes the important details of the incident using the Who? What?
When? Where? and Why? format.
Follow-up questions to think about and discuss:
• John Brown used violence in his raid on Harpers Ferry. What other examples of violence
occurred during the time preceding the Civil War?
• What peaceful disagreements or protests occurred during the time preceding the
Civil War?
PROJECT SUMMARY
In the mid 1800s, tensions between North and South were running high. Cultural, economic,
and constitutional differences fueled the fighting. Slavery was one of the major issues leading
to tension between the North and South. People felt so strongly about the issue that some
resorted to violence. John Brown was an abolitionist who wanted to help slaves by giving them
guns so they could rebel against their masters.
Process:
• Students work individually.
• Read and learn about John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry.
• Create a police report of the incident to document the event.
• Discuss, reflect on, and evaluate your learning experience.
Things to research:
Who was John Brown? What was located at Harpers Ferry? Why did John Brown raid Harpers
Ferry? Who helped him? Who opposed him? What was the outcome of the raid? What related
events preceded the raid on Harpers Ferry?
Use your research to determine:
• What were some of the issues in the United States that led up to the Civil War?
• How was the raid on Harpers Ferry related to the Civil War?
How to present your findings:
Create a police report that includes the important details of the incident using the Who? What?
When? Where? and Why? format.
Follow-up questions to think about and discuss:
• John Brown used violence in his raid on Harpers Ferry. What other examples of violence
occurred during the time preceding the Civil War?
• What peaceful disagreements or protests occurred during the time preceding the
Civil War?
Answers
GPT-4o mini
**POLICE REPORT**
**Case Number:** 1859-0023
**Date of Report:** October 17, 1859
**Reporting Officer:** [Officer's Name]
**Badge Number:** [Badge Number]
**Location of Incident:** Harpers Ferry, Virginia
---
**WHO:**
- **Suspect:** John Brown, a radical abolitionist from New York with a history of activism against slavery.
- **Supporters:** A small group of 21 armed men, including several of his sons and other abolitionists (notably, Frederick Douglass was invited but did not participate).
- **Opponents:** Local militia and U.S. Army under Colonel Robert E. Lee responded to the raid.
**WHAT:**
John Brown led a raid on the federal armory and arsenal at Harpers Ferry. The objective was to seize weapons and distribute them to enslaved people in the surrounding area, inciting a rebellion against slaveholders. The operation was executed in the early hours of October 16, resulting in an initial capture of the armory but quickly devolved into a standoff with local and federal forces.
**WHEN:**
The raid commenced on October 16, 1859, at approximately 10:00 PM and escalated into a violent confrontation by the early morning hours of October 17, culminating in the capture of Brown and several of his men by U.S. forces later that day.
**WHERE:**
The incident took place in and around the federal armory and arsenal located in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, strategically situated at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers.
**WHY:**
John Brown raided Harpers Ferry primarily as an effort to incite a slave uprising against the institution of slavery, which he viewed as morally and ethically indefensible. He believed that by seizing arms, he could empower enslaved people to fight for their freedom. This action was driven by heightened tensions between pro-slavery Southern states and anti-slavery Northern states, contributing to the growing divide that would lead to the Civil War.
---
**ADDITIONAL NOTES:**
The raid at Harpers Ferry was met with swift military response, and John Brown and his surviving followers were captured after a short armed conflict. The event heightened sectional tensions, with Brown being deemed both a martyr by abolitionists and a dangerous criminal by pro-slavery advocates. His actions and subsequent trial sparked nationwide debate about slavery and civil rights, foreshadowing the impending conflict of the Civil War.
---
**RESOURCES RECOMMENDED FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION:**
- The Underground Railroad and other abolitionist movements.
- The political climate in the U.S. leading up to the Civil War.
- Other instances of violence and protest during this period, including the Bleeding Kansas conflict and the Dred Scott decision.
---
**END OF REPORT**
**Submitted by:** [Officer's Name]
**Signature:** ____________________
**Date:** ____________________
**Case Number:** 1859-0023
**Date of Report:** October 17, 1859
**Reporting Officer:** [Officer's Name]
**Badge Number:** [Badge Number]
**Location of Incident:** Harpers Ferry, Virginia
---
**WHO:**
- **Suspect:** John Brown, a radical abolitionist from New York with a history of activism against slavery.
- **Supporters:** A small group of 21 armed men, including several of his sons and other abolitionists (notably, Frederick Douglass was invited but did not participate).
- **Opponents:** Local militia and U.S. Army under Colonel Robert E. Lee responded to the raid.
**WHAT:**
John Brown led a raid on the federal armory and arsenal at Harpers Ferry. The objective was to seize weapons and distribute them to enslaved people in the surrounding area, inciting a rebellion against slaveholders. The operation was executed in the early hours of October 16, resulting in an initial capture of the armory but quickly devolved into a standoff with local and federal forces.
**WHEN:**
The raid commenced on October 16, 1859, at approximately 10:00 PM and escalated into a violent confrontation by the early morning hours of October 17, culminating in the capture of Brown and several of his men by U.S. forces later that day.
**WHERE:**
The incident took place in and around the federal armory and arsenal located in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, strategically situated at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers.
**WHY:**
John Brown raided Harpers Ferry primarily as an effort to incite a slave uprising against the institution of slavery, which he viewed as morally and ethically indefensible. He believed that by seizing arms, he could empower enslaved people to fight for their freedom. This action was driven by heightened tensions between pro-slavery Southern states and anti-slavery Northern states, contributing to the growing divide that would lead to the Civil War.
---
**ADDITIONAL NOTES:**
The raid at Harpers Ferry was met with swift military response, and John Brown and his surviving followers were captured after a short armed conflict. The event heightened sectional tensions, with Brown being deemed both a martyr by abolitionists and a dangerous criminal by pro-slavery advocates. His actions and subsequent trial sparked nationwide debate about slavery and civil rights, foreshadowing the impending conflict of the Civil War.
---
**RESOURCES RECOMMENDED FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION:**
- The Underground Railroad and other abolitionist movements.
- The political climate in the U.S. leading up to the Civil War.
- Other instances of violence and protest during this period, including the Bleeding Kansas conflict and the Dred Scott decision.
---
**END OF REPORT**
**Submitted by:** [Officer's Name]
**Signature:** ____________________
**Date:** ____________________