On Dec. 2, 1859 this militant abolitionist was hanged for treason
[DOC] [TLE] John Brown - PBS [PAR] Part 2: 1750-1805 ... 1800 - 1859 ... On October 16, 1859, he led 21 men on a 
raid of the federal arsenal at Harpers ... where he was tried and convicted of 
treason, Before hearing his sentence, Brown ... many Northerners began to 
speak favorably of the militant abolitionist.