Harpers Ferry is historically significant as the site of John Brown’s 1859 raid on the federal armory, an event that intensified national tensions over slavery and helped precipitate the Civil War. Its strategic location at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers made it a critical transportation and industrial hub in the 19th century, and during the war it changed hands between Union and Confederate forces multiple times. The town’s history reflects the intersection of abolitionism, military strategy, and early American industry, making it a key landmark in understanding the political and social fractures that shaped the United States.