John Brown wanted to end the institution of slavery by his raid at Harper Ferry. While the raid itself did not end slavery, it played a crucial role in expediting the growing tensions between the North and South leading to the Civil War. He was considered a martyr in the North after his death and the people in the South were upset that he was being idolized. His intention to end slavery had started when he was a child at the age of 12 he saw a slave owner beat a young African man with a shovel. This would help lead his ambition to end slavery.
