Virginia Militia

John Brown's Harpers Ferry Raid Exposes Slave Power's Armed Defense of Institutional Capture

1859-10-16 00:00:00 +0000 UTC | Importance: 8/10

John Brown led a raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, on October 16, 1859, seizing the facility with 21 followers in an attempt to spark a slave uprising by capturing weapons and distributing them to enslaved people in the region. The raid exposed how thoroughly the Slave Power had …

John Brown Robert E. Lee James Buchanan U.S. Marines Virginia Militia slave-power institutional-capture political-violence democratic-erosion federal-military

Gabriel's Rebellion Plans Massive Slave Uprising in Virginia, Exposing System's Fragility

1800-08-30 00:00:00 +0000 UTC | Importance: 8/10

Gabriel, a 24-year-old enslaved blacksmith from Brookfield plantation in Henrico County, Virginia, plans to lead what may be the most extensive slave rebellion in American history up to that point, with an estimated several thousand participants prepared to seize Richmond, kill white inhabitants …

Gabriel James Monroe Virginia militia Enslaved conspirators slavery institutional-corruption slave-rebellion state-violence resistance