Harper Cemetery: The Town Before the Legend
Listen at the stop, then read the transcript and follow the sources behind the story.
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Transcript
Harpers Ferry is a small town where several American histories meet.
Its importance comes from geography, industry, slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction and preservation.
The challenge of understanding Harpers Ferry is avoiding a single story. John Brown's raid is central, but the town existed before 1859 and continued to change long afterward.