There were prayer meetings in the North, with an emphasis on prayer for the Union. There were marches and protests in the South, with an emphasis on finding some way to cage the abolitionists. The New York Times used the expression “The Political Crisis” on Monday, January 2, the first time that newspaper used such words to describe the state of the nation.

Clearly, John Brown’s raid had accomplished something. One might not applaud his action, but the nation felt like a rather different place than a year earlier.