John Brown’s Body
In October, 1859, John Brown and 18 of his men attacked the federal armory at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia with the intention to steal weapons and to incite a slave rebellion. This brazen and unprecedented attack was also intended to signal to the South – and to the country at large – that John Brown’s Holy War against slavery had begun.
In the process, Brown became the most notorious man in America.
Brown is one of history's most controversial and misunderstood characters. He is best known as a religiously-inspired man who fought and died in an effort to abolish slavery, but he is also regarded equally as a madman and martyr, as a murderer or genuine hero.
He and his ragtag guerrilla group embarked on a righteous crusade against slavery that was carried out with shocking violence, and his execution in 1859 set off a chain of events that directly led to the Civil War.
Brown’s life story and his daring raid at Harper’s Ferry are the basis for the play – John Brown’s Body. The play was written by local San Miguel resident, William R. Slusser, who is also portraying Brown in this production.