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John Brown ordered 950 iron pikes from the Collins Company of Connecticut for use during the hoped-for slave insurrection following his raid at the U.S. arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, October 18, 1859. Brown's army, made up of sixteen whites and five blacks, took hostages from the community and took over the arsenal. Brown's army was overwhelmed by U.S. troops led by Colonel Robert E. Lee. The pikes were found in a nearby Maryland farmhouse used by Brown to organize the raid. Brown was tried and hanged for treason against the Commonwealth of Virginia on December 2, 1859.
Creator: Collins Company
Date: between 1858 and 1859
Item Number: 209884
Call Number: 1881.75.1
KSHS Identifier: 1881.75.1
Collections - Museum
Date - 1854-1860 - 1859
Government and Politics - Federal Government
Military - Wars - Bleeding Kansas
Military - Weapons - Swords
Objects and Artifacts - Tools & Equipment for Science & Technology - Armament - Armament, Edged - Pike
People - African Americans - Slavery
People - Notable People - Brown, John, 1800-1859
Places - Cities and towns - Osawatomie
Places - Counties - Miami
Places - Other States - Connecticut
Places - Other States - Virginia
Places - Other States - West Virginia - Harpers Ferry
Thematic Time Period - Bleeding Kansas, 1854 - 1861
Type of Material - Objects and Artifacts
http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/209884