John Harpers is a man who was determined to bring slavery to an end and that is why he tried various approaches to see that people no longer suffered under the menace. One of the attempts he used was the raid which was seen as one of the most daring approaches he ever used. John Harpers had organized a raiding force which consisted of about twenty two men; three of whom were his own sons (Friedheim 3). Though this raid was one of the charges that made Harpers to be convicted to charges that later led to his hanging, it is important to note that his motive towards the raid was to mobilize anti slavery forces which he would work with to ensure that slavery was brought to an end. Since the government was behind the act of slavery, the best approach he could have used to ensure that the activity is completely crippled was to take control over federal armory which is said to house about 100,000 rifles and muskets.
It is obvious that Harpers could not adequately compete with the government which enjoyed adequate state machinery to facilitate the act of capturing people into slavery. This therefore meant hat John Harpers had to do something in order to measure up to the strength of the government (Friedheim 3). The raid of the federal armory which could see him acquire thousands and thousands of guns and muskets would be a big step for Harpers in combating slavery.
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The trial of John Harpers led to him being charged with murder, treason and conspiracy to lead rebellion against slavery. According to me, the trial seemed to be very fair since even Harpers himself could attest in the note he wrote before he was hung that he was flattered to think that slavery could only be brought to an end through shedding of blood (Friedheim 4). The execution of Harpers following the ruling that he was found guilty of the three counts of offences was according to the laws of the country. However, such an execution to me is clear sign of a man who was dedicated to fight with the issue of slavery to an extent where he could do anything including sacrificing his own life.
The events that took place in 1859 have got a lot of implications in the future of United States. First, the efforts of Harpers to bring slavery to an end helped in shaping the future of United States in that it triggered a heated debate on the need to uphold human dignity by stopping slavery (Friedheim 4).Contributions of John Harpers can also be seen as a positive step towards fighting against racial discrimination in the country. The fact that most of the slaves were blacks shows that John Harpers despite being a white had the interest of blacks in is heart. This set a very good pace in the country as far as it concerns learning to embrace one another irrespective of racial differences.
The vents that took place in 1859 can be seen as a sign to true patriotism and selflessness. These are virtues that have shaped and will continue to shape the future of United States if leaders at various levels and citizens at large live by them.