for his October 1859 raid, an event that was to be the beginning of the end of slavery in the U.S. They will also discover what happened during and after the raid, and have the opportunity to debate the question: Would you have joined John Brown’s raiders? Finally, students will consider whether or not they feel John Brown’s Raid, as well as his trial and execution, had any impact on the nation, and helped lead our country into a civil war, a conflict which would eventually end the institution of slavery.