Artist/Maker Charles Blair (1812 - 1893)

"John Brown" pike

1857-1859

Place madeCollinsville, Connecticut, United States, North America

Steel, wood

Overall: 6 ft. 9 in. × 4 1/4 in. (205.7 × 10.8 cm)

New-York Historical Society

INV.5736

This is one of the pikes commissioned by militant abolitionist John Brown (1800-1859) from the Collins Co. of Canton, Connecticut in 1857 in preparation for his raid on the U.S. arsenal at Harper's Ferry in 1859. Brown intended to incite an insurrection of enslaved peoples and planned to use the pikes to arm enslaved peoples on Virginia plantations. None of the weapons were ever used by enslaved peoples, but they became potent symbols of Brown's raid. Each of the 1,000 pikes made for Brown by Collins Co. were individually numbered: this example is stamped "101."

DescriptionWood and iron pike; cylindrical wood shaft with leaf blade, oval crossbar, and cylindrical socket fastened to top.

MarkingsStamped on metal haft: "101"

ClassificationsMILITARY TOOLS & EQUIPMENT: MISCELLANEOUS

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