Interpretation A: from a history of Virginia, written by a historian in 1930. (Written for practice.)
'John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry was a hopeless failure. No slave rising followed, and he was captured within two days by a small force of marines. Most Northern politicians, including Lincoln, condemned him. The raid was the act of a fanatic, and it changed very little: the forces that divided North and South had been building for years, and they would have led to war with or without him.'
Interpretation B: from a history of the coming of the Civil War, written by an American historian in 2009. (Written for practice.)
'Harpers Ferry was a turning point. The raid itself failed, but its effects were enormous. Southerners were terrified that Northern abolitionists were plotting slave revolts, and when church bells rang in Northern towns on the day Brown was hanged, many decided that the North was their enemy. Southern states strengthened their militias, and a year later, when Lincoln was elected, many Southerners believed that his party stood for John Brown. The raid made secession far more likely.'
Which interpretation gives the more convincing opinion about the importance of John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry? Explain your answer based on your contextual knowledge and what it says in Interpretations A and B.
Model answer
Interpretation A argues that the raid was a failure that changed little. It is accurate about the raid itself: no slave rising followed, and Brown was captured on 18 October 1859 by US Marines commanded by Robert E. Lee. Leading Republicans, including Lincoln, did condemn the raid. A is also right that the divisions between North and South had deep roots in slavery in the West, the Fugitive Slave Act, Bleeding Kansas and the Dred Scott decision. However, A judges the raid only as a military event and ignores its effect on public opinion, which was where its real importance lay.
Interpretation B argues that the raid was a turning point because of the reactions it caused, and my knowledge supports this. Southerners had feared slave revolts since Nat Turner's rebellion in 1831, and Brown's papers showed he had been funded by wealthy Northern abolitionists. On the day he was hanged, 2 December 1859, bells were tolled and meetings held in Northern towns, which convinced many Southerners that the North approved of violence against them. Southern states strengthened their militias, and Southern politicians linked the Republicans to Brown. When Lincoln was elected in 1860, many Southerners saw his victory as a threat, and South Carolina seceded within weeks. B probably exaggerates slightly, because secession had other causes, but it explains why the South reacted so strongly to Lincoln.
Overall, B is more convincing. A is correct that the raid failed and that it did not create the divisions, but the importance of an event depends on its effects, not only on whether it succeeded. Harpers Ferry hardened attitudes on both sides just a year before the 1860 election, making compromise much harder and secession much more likely.
Explanation
A good answer accepts A's points about the raid's military failure and long-term causes, but uses Southern fear, Northern mourning, militia-building and the 1860 election to support B. Level 4 needs a sustained judgement based on this knowledge.
