Existing comment:
John Brown pike
1856
used in the 1859 raid at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
In the 1850s, responding to pressure from southern slaveholding states, Congress passed a number of laws upholding the rights of slave owners. Abolitionist John Brown believed slavery could only end through violence; he purchased 1,000 pikes to arm a slave revolt. His raid on Harpers Ferry failed to secure the U.S. arsenal, but did energize the abolitionist movement.
Joseph Emerson Brown pike
1860s
one of 10,000 purchased to arm Georgia's militia until guns could be obtained
The struggle over the balance of power between the federal government and individual states had been a concern since the formation of the nation and was a major issue in driving the country to civil war. As governor of Georgia, Joseph Brown supported seceding from the Union, which he believed had grown too powerful. |