Frederick Douglass and John Brown

Frederick Douglass and John Brown is a Pennsylvania historical marker in Chambersburg, Franklin County, dedicated 1994.

W Washington St., just W of Southgate Mall, Chambersburg

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The two abolitionists met at a stone quarry here, Aug. 19-21, 1859, and discussed Brown's plans to raid the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry. He urged Douglass to join an armed demonstration against slavery. Douglass refused, warning the raid would fail; the Oct. 16, 1859 attack confirmed his fears. Brown was captured with his surviving followers and was executed Dec. 2, 1859.

TodayHistorical map

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David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

Historical maps covering this location

1848 · Pennsylvania. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1857 · Pennsylvania. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1859 · Virginia (Herman Boye, 1859) (Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1871 · Plate H. South Central Pennsylvania. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1902 · Chambersburg, Pennsylvania (USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection)

Pennsylvania, 1857, covering the location of Frederick Douglass and John Brown, with a pin at the marker's coordinates — Pennsylvania, 1857, covering this location. David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries. The pin is ours, placed from the marker's coordinates.

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Marker data: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission via data.pa.gov

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