John Anthony Copeland Jr. (1834–1859) was born a free black in Raleigh, North Carolina. In 1843, when he was a child, his family moved north to Oberlin, Ohio, where he later attended Oberlin College's preparatory (high school) division. He became involved in abolitionist and antislavery activities, and was a highly visible leader in the successful Oberlin-Wellington Rescue of 1858.[1] Copeland joined John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry; other than Brown himself, he was the only member of John Brown's raiders that was at all well known.[1]:1794 He was captured and convicted of murder and conspiracy to incite slaves to rebellion. He was hanged on December 16, 1859. There were 1,600 spectators.[2] His family tried but failed to recover his body, which was taken by medical students for dissection.
