How did the Secret Six support John Brown before the Harpers Ferry raid?

The "Secret Six" were a group of prominent abolitionists who provided moral and financial support to John Brown for his antislavery activities, including his 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry.12

In addition to Samuel Gridley Howe, the group included Gerrit Smith, Franklin Benjamin Sanborn, George L. Stearns, Thomas Wentworth Higginson, and Theodore Parker. Their support for Brown was rooted in a shared commitment to the abolition of slavery. Some members of this group had previously funded Brown’s efforts during the Bleeding Kansas conflict, and they continued this backing for his subsequent plans.1

Specifically, the Secret Six provided Brown with the funding and arms necessary to carry out his operations, which included his intention to establish a stronghold for escaping enslaved people in the mountains of Maryland and Virginia.12