John Brown's Bold Plan to Fight Against Slavery John Brown's bold plan to fight slavery culminated in the 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Believing that armed rebellion was necessary to end slavery, Brown and his followers seized a federal arsenal, hoping to spark a slave uprising. However, the raid failed, and Brown was captured and executed. Despite his failure, his actions intensified national tensions over slavery, making him a martyr in the abolitionist cause and a symbol of resistanc