In 1859, Marines helped suppress which event at Harpers Ferry?

• A. Battle of Gettysburg
• B. Siege of Fort Sumter
• C. Suppression of John Brown's raid at Harpers Ferry
• D. Battle of Antietam

Answer: (C)

The event tested here is the federal response to an armed raid on a national armory at Harpers Ferry in 1859. John Brown led the raid as an attempt to spark a slave uprising, and the situation demanded immediate military action. U.S. Marines, operating under the overall direction of Colonel Robert E. Lee, were sent to Harpers Ferry and stormed the engine house where Brown and his men were trapped. They helped end the raid, capturing Brown and his followers, though Brown was later executed after a trial.

This moment shows how the government used military force to suppress insurrection and protect federal property, a stance that would further polarize the nation in the years leading to the Civil War. The other events listed occurred later in the Civil War era and did not take place at Harpers Ferry in 1859.