Some northerners viewed John Brown as a martyr because he was seen as a courageous and principled man who sacrificed his life in the fight against slavery. Brown was particularly admired for his raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in 1859, in which he attempted to seize the federal arsenal there in hopes of inciting a general slave rebellion. Although the raid failed and Brown was captured and executed, his actions served to highlight the brutality of slavery and the necessity of its abolition. Many northerners were deeply moved by Brown's selfless devotion to the cause of emancipation and considered him a heroic figure worthy of reverence.