Nat Turner
October 2, 1800 – November 11, 1831
Brielyn Howard
Nat Turner was an African-American slave who is best known for leading a slave rebellian in Virginia on August 21, 1831 that resulted in 55 white deaths, and at least 200 black deaths. A short summary of his rebellian started with Turner gathering supporters in Southhampton Country, Virginia. Turner was convicted, sentenced to death, and hanged. In dealing with the aftermath, the state executed 56 blacks accused of being part of Turner's slave rebellion as well. Two hundred blacks were also killed after being beaten by white militias and mobs reacting to the events 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. Later on, these laws were demolished, but the strong history of black slaves and Ted Turners actions always remain in memory.
As a small child, Turner was thought to one day become a prophet because of his "special talents." Turner could describe things that happened before he was even born, and his mother and grandmother told Turner that he "was intended for some great purpose." Turner was deeply religious and spent much of his time reading the Bible, praying and fasting. Over the years, Turner worked on a number of different plantations, with different owners. He ran away from Samuel Turner, his former owner's brother, in 1821, and after thirty days hiding in the woods, Turner came back to Turner's plantation after he received what he believed to be a "sign from God". After Samuel Turner's death, Nat Turner became the slave of Thomas Moore and then the property of his widow. When she married John Travis, and Turner went to work on Travis's lands. This was the benining of Turners twisted thoughts and legacy.
Turner began believing in signs and hearing divine voices as time went on. Turner eventually had a "vision" in 1825 of a bloody conflict between black and white spirits, and three years later, he had what he believed to be another message from God. In his later confession, Turner explained "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. " He would receive another sign to tell him when to fight, but this latest message meant "I should arise and prepare myself and slay my enemies with their own weapons."Turner took a solar eclipse that occurred in February 1831 as a signal that the time to rise up had come. He recruited three other slaves to join him in his cause. They then planned in deep Virginian woods, on a night they could all escape from their masters. On August 21, 1831, Turner and his accomplices began their revolt against white slave owners with the killing the entire Travis family as they slept. Turner gathered more supporters that eventually grew to a group of up to 40 or 50 slaves. As he and his army continued their murder spree through the county, they were able to secure arms and horses from those they killed. Most sources say that about 55 white men, women and children died during Turner's rebellion.
Initially Turner had planned to reach the county seat of Jerusalem and take over the armory there, but he and his men were unable to acheave this plan. They faced off against a group of armed white men at a plantation near Jerusalem, and the conflict soon dissolved into chaos. Turner himself fled into the woods. While Turner hid away, white mobs and other white sepremisies took their revenge on the blacks of Southampton County. Estimates range to approximately 200 African Americans were killed after the rebellion. Turner was eventually captured on October 30, 1831 and was represented by lawyer Thomas R. Gray, who wrote down Turner's confession. Turner pled not guilty during his trail, as he believed that his rebellion was the work of God. He was sentenced to death by hanging, and this sentence was carried out on November 11, 1831. Many of his co-conspirators meant the same fate as Turner.
This incident struck fear into southerners, ending the organized emancipation movement in that region. Southern states enacted and even harsher laws against southern slaves. Turner's actions also added fuel to the abolitionist movement in the north.
Turner's image has now changed and evolved over the years. He has emerged as three extremes. A hero, a religious fanatic and a villain. Turner became an important icon to the 1960s black power movement as an example of an African American standing up against white oppression, which he was one of the first to do so, and the first to so strongly rebel. Turner was also the subject of William Styron's 1967 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Confessions of Nat Turner. But others have objected to Turner's indiscriminate slaughtering of men, women and children to try to achieve this end. As Nat Turners Controversy rolls on, opinions of Turners actions are subjective to individuals.
As a small child, Turner was thought to one day become a prophet because of his "special talents." Turner could describe things that happened before he was even born, and his mother and grandmother told Turner that he "was intended for some great purpose." Turner was deeply religious and spent much of his time reading the Bible, praying and fasting. Over the years, Turner worked on a number of different plantations, with different owners. He ran away from Samuel Turner, his former owner's brother, in 1821, and after thirty days hiding in the woods, Turner came back to Turner's plantation after he received what he believed to be a "sign from God". After Samuel Turner's death, Nat Turner became the slave of Thomas Moore and then the property of his widow. When she married John Travis, and Turner went to work on Travis's lands. This was the benining of Turners twisted thoughts and legacy.
Turner began believing in signs and hearing divine voices as time went on. Turner eventually had a "vision" in 1825 of a bloody conflict between black and white spirits, and three years later, he had what he believed to be another message from God. In his later confession, Turner explained "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. " He would receive another sign to tell him when to fight, but this latest message meant "I should arise and prepare myself and slay my enemies with their own weapons."Turner took a solar eclipse that occurred in February 1831 as a signal that the time to rise up had come. He recruited three other slaves to join him in his cause. They then planned in deep Virginian woods, on a night they could all escape from their masters. On August 21, 1831, Turner and his accomplices began their revolt against white slave owners with the killing the entire Travis family as they slept. Turner gathered more supporters that eventually grew to a group of up to 40 or 50 slaves. As he and his army continued their murder spree through the county, they were able to secure arms and horses from those they killed. Most sources say that about 55 white men, women and children died during Turner's rebellion.
Initially Turner had planned to reach the county seat of Jerusalem and take over the armory there, but he and his men were unable to acheave this plan. They faced off against a group of armed white men at a plantation near Jerusalem, and the conflict soon dissolved into chaos. Turner himself fled into the woods. While Turner hid away, white mobs and other white sepremisies took their revenge on the blacks of Southampton County. Estimates range to approximately 200 African Americans were killed after the rebellion. Turner was eventually captured on October 30, 1831 and was represented by lawyer Thomas R. Gray, who wrote down Turner's confession. Turner pled not guilty during his trail, as he believed that his rebellion was the work of God. He was sentenced to death by hanging, and this sentence was carried out on November 11, 1831. Many of his co-conspirators meant the same fate as Turner.
This incident struck fear into southerners, ending the organized emancipation movement in that region. Southern states enacted and even harsher laws against southern slaves. Turner's actions also added fuel to the abolitionist movement in the north.
Turner's image has now changed and evolved over the years. He has emerged as three extremes. A hero, a religious fanatic and a villain. Turner became an important icon to the 1960s black power movement as an example of an African American standing up against white oppression, which he was one of the first to do so, and the first to so strongly rebel. Turner was also the subject of William Styron's 1967 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Confessions of Nat Turner. But others have objected to Turner's indiscriminate slaughtering of men, women and children to try to achieve this end. As Nat Turners Controversy rolls on, opinions of Turners actions are subjective to individuals.
Works Cited
- Finnagan, Nancy. "Nat Turner Biogrophy." Bio. AT&T Television Networks, 2014. Web. 2 May. 2014.
- "Nat Turners Rebellian." Africans In America. PBS, n.d. Web. 2 May. 2014.
- Larson, Jennifer. "A Rebellian to Remember: The Legacy of Nat Turner." Documenting the American South. The University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, 1 May. 2013. Web. 2 May. 2014.
- "Nat Turner Excicuted in Virginia." This Day in History. A&E Telivision Networks, 11 Nov. 2011. Web. 2 May. 2014.