In real life: Brown’s plans were close to what was depicted. He chose Harpers Ferry as his target because the armory there was known to be lightly guarded, and because of its location in Virginia, seen as a gateway to the slaveholding South. Years after the Harpers Ferry raid, Sanborn, using a pseudonym, wrote that the group had supplied Brown with $500 and some weaponry for the mission. In real life: Just three of Brown’s sons participated in the raid (he had at least 20 children), and not the three that are depicted on the show. It was two of Brown’s other sons, Watson and Oliver, who joined in the attack.

Source: New York Times November 16, 2020 18:33 UTC