Harper's Ferry
a town in West Virginia, where the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers meet, that was the place of many battles during the American Civil War. Just before the war, an abolitionist (=someone who wants to stop slavery) called John Brown took control of the government weapons that were kept there and tried to get slaves to fight against their owners. He was caught and hanged for treason (=actions against your country).

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲