A compelling biography of one of the most controversial and significant figures in American history. John Brown was a white abolitionist who led a raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry in 1859, in an attempt to incite a slave rebellion and overthrow the institution of slavery in the United States. In addition to his analysis of Brown's life and legacy, Du Bois also provides a broader historical context for understanding the abolitionist movement and the struggle for racial justice in the United States.