Final answer:
John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry was a failed attempt to capture a federal arsenal and incite a slave rebellion. The event heightened tensions between the North and the South and played a role in the start of the Civil War.
Step-by-step explanation:
John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry took place in October 1859. Brown, a radical abolitionist, planned to capture the federal arsenal in Harper's Ferry and incite a slave rebellion to end slavery. However, the raid quickly failed as local slaves were suspicious and few joined Brown's cause. The raid led to increased tensions between the North and the South, with Southerners viewing Brown as a terrorist and abolitionists considering him a martyr. The event played a significant role in escalating the divide between the states and ultimately contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War.