The Prologue sets the stage for the tale of Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry on October 16, 1859, a pivotal moment in American history. Horwitz begins by recounting the night when Brown and his band of 18 men, including five Black men and two of his sons, embarked on a mission to ignite a revolution against enslavement. These men, soldiers in the Provisional Army of the United States, were united under Brown’s command, driven by a fierce determination to end enslavement or die trying. Brown, a figure already notorious for his anti-enslavement activities and wanted by authorities, had prepared meticulously for this moment, drafting a constitution and a declaration for his envisioned revolutionary government.

In the silent, dark hills of Maryland, the group, armed with weapons and a revolutionary zeal, moved toward Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Their plan was audacious: to seize the US armory in Harpers Ferry, distribute the weapons to enslaved people, and inspire a widespread uprising. Upon reaching the armory, they encountered resistance but swiftly took control, with Brown declaring his intention to free the enslaved people in Virginia and warning of violence should anyone interfere.

Horwitz then shifts the

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