answersLogoWhite

0

Nathaniel "Nat" Turner (October 2, 1800 -- November 11, 1831) was an American slave who led a slave rebellion in Virginia on August 21, 1831 that resulted in 56] deaths among their victims, the largest number of white fatalities to occur in one uprising in the antebellum southern United States. He gathered supporters in Southampton County, Virginia. Turner's killing of whites during the uprising makes his legacy controversial. For his actions, Turner was convicted, sentenced to death, and executed. In the aftermath, the state executed 56 blacks accused of being part of Turner's slave rebellion. Two hundred blacks were also beaten and killed, white militias and mobs reacting with violence. Across Virginia and other southern states, state legislators passed new laws prohibiting education of slaves and free blacks, restricting rights of assembly and other civil rights for free blacks, and requiring white ministers to be present at black worship services.


At birth, Turner's master recorded only his given name, Nat, although he may have had a last name within the enslaved community. In accordance with common practice, the whites referred to him by the last name of his owner, Samuel Turner. This practice was continued by historians.
Turner spent his life in Southampton County, Virginia, a predominantly black area.

Turner had "natural intelligence and quickness of apprehension, surpassed by few." He learned to read and write at a young age. He grew up deeply religious and was often seen fasting, praying, or immersed in reading the stories of The Bible. He frequently experienced visions which he interpreted as messages from God. These visions greatly influenced his life; for instance, when Turner was 23 years old, he ran away from his owner, but returned a month later after having such a vision. Turner often conducted Baptist services, preaching the Bible to his fellow slaves, who dubbed him "The Prophet". Turner also had influence over white people, and in the case of Ethelred T. Brantley, Turner said that he was able to convince Brantley to "cease from his wickedness".
By early 1828, Turner was convinced that he "was ordained for some great purpose in the hands of the Almighty." While working in his owner's fields on May 12, Turner "heard a loud noise in the heavens, and the Spirit instantly appeared to me and said the Serpent was loosened, and Christ had laid down the yoke he had borne for the sins of men, and that I should take it on and fight against the Serpent, for the time was fast approaching when the first should be last and the last should be first." Turner was convinced that God had given him the task of "slay[ing] my enemies with their own weapons." Turner "communicated the great work laid out for me to do, to four in whom I had the greatest confidence" -- his fellow slaves Henry, Hark, Nelson, and Sam.
Beginning in February 1831, Turner came to believe that certain atmospheric conditions were to be interpreted as a sign that he should begin preparing for a rebellion against the slave owners.
On February 12, 1831, an annular solar eclipse was seen in Virginia. Turner saw this as a black man's hand reaching over the sun, and he took this vision as his sign. The rebellion was initially planned for July 4, Independence Day, but was postponed for more deliberation between him and his followers, and illness. On August 13, there was another solar eclipse, in which the sun appeared bluish-green (possibly from debris deposited in the atmosphere by an eruption of Mount Saint Helens). Turner took this occasion as the final signal, and a week later, on August 21, he began the rebellion.
Rebellion



Turner started with a few trusted fellow slaves. The rebels traveled from house to house, freeing slaves and killing the white people they found. The rebels ultimately included more than 70 enslaved and free blacks.
Because the rebels did not want to alert anyone to their presence as they carried out their attacks, they initially used knives, hatchets, axes, and blunt instruments instead of firearms. The rebellion did not discriminate by age or sex, until it was determined that the rebellion had achieved sufficient numbers. Nat Turner only confessed to killing one of the rebellion's victims, Margret Whitehead, who he killed with a blow from a fence post.
Before a white militia was able to respond, the rebels killed 55 men, women, and children. They spared a few homes "because Turner believed the poor white inhabitants 'thought no better of themselves than they did of Negros.'"



The capture of Nat Turner

The rebellion was suppressed within two days, but Turner eluded capture until October 30, when he was discovered hiding in a hole covered with fence rails. On November 5, 1831, he was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. Turner was hanged on November 11 in Jerusalem, Virginia, now known as Courtland, Virginia. His body was flayed, beheaded and quartered.
After his execution, his lawyer, Thomas Ruffin Gray, took it upon himself to publish The Confessions of Nat Turner, derived partly from research done while Turner was in hiding and partly from jailhouse conversations with Turner before trial. This work is the primary historical document regarding Nat Turner.





In total, the state executed 56 blacks suspected of having been involved in the uprising. In the aftermath, close to 200 blacks, many of whom had nothing to do with the rebellion, were beaten, tortured, and killed.
Before the Nat Turner Revolt, there was a small but ineffectual antislavery movement in Virginia,largely on account of economic trends that made slavery less profitable in the Old South in the 1820s and fears among whites of the rising number of blacks, especially in the Tidewater and Piedmont regions. Most of the movement's members, including acting governor John Floyd, supported resettlement of blacks to Africa for these reasons. Considerations of white racial and moral purity also influenced many of these antislavery Virginians.
Nevertheless, fears of repetitions of the Nat Turner Revolt polarized moderates and slave owners across the South Municipalities across the region instituted repressive policies against blacks. Rights were taken away from those who were free. The freedoms of all black people in Virginia were tightly curtailed. Socially, the uprising discouraged whites' questioning the slave system from the perspective that such discussion might encourage similar slave revolts. Manumissions of slaves had decreased by 1810. The shift away from tobacco had made owning slaves in the Upper South an excess to the planters' needs, so they started to hire out slaves. With the ending of the slave trade, the invention of the cotton gin, and opening up of new territories in the Deep South, suddenly there was a growing market for the trading of slaves. Over the next decades, more than a million slaves would be transported to the Deep South in a forced migration as a result of the domestic slave trade.
In terms of public response and loss of white lives, slaveholders in the Upper South and coastal states were deeply shocked by the Nat Turner Rebellion. While the 1811 German Coast Uprising in Louisiana involved a greater number of slaves, it resulted in only two white fatalities. Events in Louisiana did not receive as much attention in those years in the Upper South and Lowcountry. Because of his singular status, Turner is regarded as a hero by some African Americans and pan-Africanists worldwide.
Turner became the focus of historical scholarship in the 1940s, when historian Herbert Aptheker was publishing the first serious scholarly work on instances of slave resistance in the antebellum South. Aptheker wrote that the rebellion was rooted in the exploitative conditions of the Southern slave system. He traversed libraries and archives throughout the South, managing to uncover roughly 250 similar instances, though none of them reached the scale of the Nat Turner Revolt.
User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago

What else can I help you with?

Continue Learning about General History

What positive impact did Nikki Giovanni give on other African American live?

a positive impact given on other African American lives is that it helps people to SUCCEED in life.


How did the transition from slavery to freedom impact religion for African Americans?

They all turned gay and got AIDS.


What social impact did the freedmen's bureau have on African American during the reconstruts?

the social impact was nothing


Why was the national museum of African American history and culture built?

The National Museum of African American History and Culture was built to celebrate and preserve the rich history, culture, and contributions of African Americans in the United States. It aims to educate the public about the struggles and achievements of African Americans, from slavery to the present day. The museum serves as a vital space for reflection, dialogue, and understanding, fostering a deeper appreciation of the African American experience within the broader narrative of American history. Its establishment also addresses the need for a dedicated institution to honor and recognize the impact of African American culture on the nation's heritage.


What impact did Frederick Douglass have on the fight for African American rights?

Frederick Douglass was a pivotal figure in the fight for African American rights, using his powerful oratory and writing to advocate for the abolition of slavery and civil rights. As a former enslaved person, he provided a firsthand account of the injustices faced by African Americans, mobilizing public opinion against slavery. Douglass also played a significant role in the women's suffrage movement, emphasizing the interconnectedness of various struggles for equality. His legacy continues to inspire movements for social justice today.

Related Questions

What impact did slavery have on African American families?

It made them very wealthy.


What is the impact of slavery on African-Americans?

African-Americans are now scattered far and wide.


Why did African slavery replace native American slavery on the encomienda system?

African slavery replaced Native American slavery in the encomienda system primarily due to the devastating impact of diseases brought by Europeans on the native populations, making them less able to withstand forced labor. Additionally, African slaves were less likely to escape due to their unfamiliarity with the landscape and were seen as more profitable due to being perceived as being physically stronger.


What was the impact of the slavery on American History?

It made llamas jelous.


What was the impact of the 13th amendment on American life?

It abolished slavery in the country.


What positive impact did Nikki Giovanni give on other African American live?

a positive impact given on other African American lives is that it helps people to SUCCEED in life.


What has the author Arnie D Slaughter written?

Arnie D Slaughter has written: 'An analysis on the image of the African American father and his impact on the African American family structure' -- subject(s): African American men, African American fathers, African American families


How did the transition from slavery to freedom impact religion for African Americans?

They all turned gay and got AIDS.


Who published a pamphlet that advocated violence and rebellion as the only way for African Americans to end slavery?

David Walker published a pamphlet in 1829 called "Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World" advocating for violent rebellion as the only way to end slavery and racial inequality in the United States. Walker's writings had a significant impact on the abolitionist movement and African American resistance to slavery.


Why do African Americans hate themselves because of slavery?

It is not accurate to say that African Americans hate themselves because of slavery. However, the history of slavery and its legacy of racial discrimination and inequality have had a profound impact on the African American community's sense of identity and self-worth. There can be feelings of anger, frustration, and a struggle with self-acceptance as a result of this historical trauma.


What impact did the withdrawal of federal troops from the south in 1877 have on the African American politics?

Whites began to disenfranchise African American voters.


What social impact did the freedmen's bureau have on African American during the reconstruts?

the social impact was nothing