Brown was captured, tried, and hanged for treason. Most of what is depicted in the show about the purpose of the raid and how it took place does follow the historical record, The New York Times said. However, there were some small divergences.
The show depicts four of Brown’s sons joining the raid, when in reality only three participated, and two of them were different sons than those shown on-screen. It also alters the real character of rail porter Heyward Shepherd. In the show, he is dramatized as the Rail Man, who helps recruit Black Americans for the attack. In real life, he was an innocent bystander who was killed by accident during the raid. The script also takes liberties with the character of abolitionist John Cook. In reality, he was sent ahead to gather information before the raid, but the show largely invents how his efforts lead to the plot being discovered early, forcing Brown and his men to attack before they are ready.
Finally, the show fudges Brown’s last words. The script has him say, “What a beautiful country” right before his death, according to Slate. In reality, by some accounts Brown is reported to have remarked, “This is a beautiful country. I never had the pleasure of seeing it before,” while being transported to the gallows. His actual last words are not known, according to The New York Times.
