This series of Everyday Conversations is about a family traveling to each of the 50 states in the U.S. Join the family members as they learn about local pastimes and history. These conversations are for intermediate-level English-language learners or higher.
In this conversation, the family visits Harpers Ferry in West Virginia, the site of a famous revolt against slavery.
Claudine: This is the place where Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia meet?
Paul: Yes. We’re in West Virginia, but the borders of Maryland and Virginia are right over there.
Gina: But Harpers Ferry is most famous for John Brown’s raid on an armory in 1859.
Sam: One man raided an armory?
Gina: He wasn’t alone. There were about 20 men with him. And he expected others to join him in his cause.
Claudine: What was his cause?
Paul: Well, this was right before the American Civil War, and there were people who were very opposed to slavery. And John Brown was a staunch abolitionist. His raid was a revolt against slavery.
Gina: And he hoped slaves and freedom fighters would join the raid. But that didn’t happen, and he was defeated.
Now let’s review the vocabulary.
A border is a line that divides one country, state, etc., from another.
A raid is a planned attack that is done suddenly in order to destroy something, search for something and/or take something.
An armory is a place where weapons are kept. The Harpers Ferry Armory was the second government armory in the country.
As a noun, the word cause has different meanings. In this conversation, a cause means something (such as an idea or goal) that people support or fight for.
The adjective staunch means very strong and loyal to a belief or cause.
An abolitionist is a person who wants to abolish (completely end) slavery.
A revolt is a protest against authority, especially a government, that often involves violence.
A freedom fighter is a person who fights against what they think is an unfair government or system. During the time period of John Brown’s raid, a freedom fighter was someone who fought to end the system of slavery.
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