Nat turner rebellion. The trials continued from August 31 through November 21.

Nat turner rebellion. However, it wasn't until August 21st that Turner and about seven other slaves killed Travis and his family to launch his Dive into history with "The Untold Story: Nat Turner's Slave Rebellion 1831. R. In August, 1831, Nat Turner led a group of enslaved and free black men in a rebellion that killed over fifty white men, women, and children. The rebellion was effectively suppressed . Virginia Richmond Enquirer, October 7, 1831: Patrol Law in Fauquier County Governor John Floyd to Governor John Hamilton, November 19, 1831 Proposed Black Codes Debated, 1831-32 Laws Passed, March 5, 1832 Laws Passed, March 15 An account of Nat Turner's slave rebellion was published in 1832. Nat Turner’s rebellion was one of the largest slave rebellions ever to take place in the United States, and it played an important role in the development of antebellum slave society. Library of Congress, Washington, D. It ignited a culture of fear in Virginia that eventually spread to the rest of the South, and is said to have expedited the coming of the Civil War. 1800-1831) to the attorney T. It lasted 48 hours before armed, white men suppressed the revolt. (digital file no. Oct 5, 2016 · Art depicts Nat Turner and his companions planning their slave rebellion, which would kill at least 55 people in Virginia and inspire an ongoing debate over Turner's legacy. With fiery speeches that ignited a sense of empowerment, Nat Turner fearlessly organized a secret rebellion against the oppressive white slaveholders. One hundred and fifty years ago yesterday, on August 21, 1831, Nat Turner, a field slave, led the first slave rebellion in Virginia. While he awaited trial, Turner spoke with the white attorney, Thomas Ruffin Gray, who wrote their conversations into The confessions of Nat Turner : the leader of the late insurrection in Southampton, Va. Nat Turner was born on October 2, 1800, in Southampton County, Virginia, the week before Gabriel was hanged. Mar 12, 2025 · Nat Turner’s slave rebellion is a watershed event in America’s long and troubled history of slavery and racial conflict. © 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 by Sarah N. During a two-day rampage, more than 50 whites were killed, mostly by being stabbed or hacked to death. 1800-1831), an educated slave and lay preacher in Southampton County, Virginia, led the deadliest slave rebellion in US history, killing c. Mar 3, 2010 · Turner’s rebellion was the largest and most sustained rebellion of enslaved people in U. However, Nat Turner hid for over two months. In the years following Nat Turner’s insurrection, William Lloyd Garrison, the editor of T he Liberator, an abolitionist newspaper in Boston, published several letters and articles about the rebellion. When the House of Representatives voted on the passage of the bill, 48 assemblymen opposed it, while 74 voted in its favor. He soon became known among fellow slaves as Jan 22, 2018 · Nat Turner’s Rebellion was an intensely violent episode that broke out in August 1831 when enslaved people in southeastern Virginia rose up against white residents of the area. In total, around 55 white men, women, and children were killed by rebels as the latter made their way towards Jerusalem (today’s Courtland). Deep within the hearts of his fellow enslaved brethren, he planted the seeds of hope for freedom. Black and white adherents to the emerging abolitionist cause stressed the inevitability of the kind of large-scale rebellion that the slaves in Aug 22, 2016 · It was in August of 1831 that Nat Turner led a rebellion of Virginia slaves that left dozens of people dead, including small children. The Confessions of Nat Turner Title page of 1832 version of The Confessions of Nat Turner, an account of a slave rebellion, as told to and published by Thomas R. Below is a sampling of some of the original documents that illuminate the setting of the rebellion in Southampton County, the unfolding of the revolt itself, the aftermath of the uprising, and its impact on the local community and on the nation. Gray is a pamphlet published shortly after the trial and execution of Nat Turner in November 1831. Free black defendants were held over for trial until April 1832, when they Nat Turner’s Rebellion alarmed Americans and inflamed the debate over slavery. The rebels attacked slave owners and their families, killing between 55 and 65 people. Trial Records After the revolt had been suppressed, alleged slave conspirators in Southampton County appeared before the county justices of the peace in a Court of Oyer and Terminer, a special court convened to try enslaved people accused of felony crimes. Gray. Turner, Nat (1800-1831) Slave. This incident was considered to be one of the bloodiest revolts of slaves in American history. In recent years, Turner has been a focus of cultural and historical debate. Greenberg Sep 27, 2009 · On the night of 21-22 August 1831, Nat Turner, a slave preacher, began an insurrection some seven miles west with a band that grew to about 70. Turner was hanged on November 11, 1831. A pervasive White Southern fear of We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Below are lessons and other resources on the long history of resistance to enslavement. Gray, a lawyer who was defense council for other slave rebels, interviewed the jailed rebel leader. The trials continued from August 31 through November 21. (A historical marker located near Boykins in Southampton County, Virginia. Rather, it suggests that sometimes only someone not mentally healthy- not normal- is capable of rising up against objectively awful injustice. ” (Richmond Enquirer, August 30 Nat Turner’s rebellion was “the great Virginia nightmare: a midnight massacre of men, women, and children in their beds and cribs. A new wave of harsh legislation was triggered, preventing enslaved people from getting an education, moving around or gathering, after Turner’s actions ended up in the death of up to 200 Black people. A religious leader and self-styled Baptist minister, Turner and a group of followers killed some sixty white men, women, and children on the night of August 21. Linder (2020) The capture of Nat Turner The most famous slave revolt in American history took place in a backwater Virginia county in August 1831. Born in Southampton County, Va. Learn about the 1831 slave uprising led by Nat Turner in Virginia, which killed 55 to 65 White people and sparked harsh repression of Blacks. Newspapers reported rumors as fact. Explore the historical context, consequences, and legacy of this bloody and brutal uprising. This rebellion was rooted in the widespread dissatisfaction with the brutal conditions of slavery and was a response to the oppressive system that sought to control African Americans. (more) May 24, 2016 · 10 Things You May Not Know About Nat Turner’s Rebellion Explore 10 surprising facts about the bloodiest revolt in American slavery history. Between the Revolution and the Civil War, three dramatic events in Virginia focused America's attention on the problem of slavery. The rebellion was stopped within a few days. In the trials that followed the revolt Sep 26, 2020 · In search of the female slave in the Nat Turner slave insurrection / Mary Kemp Davis -- Styron's choice: a meditation on history, literature, and moral imperatives / Charles Joyner -- Interview with William Styron -- Interview with Alvin F. In 1831 a slave named Nat Turner led a rebellion in Southhampton County, Virginia. That attempt became a reference to the justification for the Civil War. The insurrection had a lasting effect even Nat Turner's Rebellion, historically known as the Southampton Insurrection, was a slave rebellion that took place in Southampton County, Virginia, in August 1831. Led by Nat Turner, an enslaved Black carpenter and preacher, the rebels, made up of enslaved and free African Americans, killed between 55 and 65 White people, making it the deadliest slave revolt in U. Over two days in 1831 Turner and several dozen other enslaved people killed some 60 white Virginians, including children. history and led to a new wave of oppressive legislation prohibiting the movement, assembly and Jul 22, 2018 · Nat Turner’s rebellion in 1831 frightened Southerners because it challenged the idea that enslavement was a benevolent institution. Over the next four months, dozens of slaves were put on trial, and more than twenty were executed, including Turner, who was captured after hiding in the area under a pile of wood for Nat Turner's rebellion was one of the bloodiest and most effective in American history. Aug 21, 2025 · Nat Turner’s rebellion was the deadliest sustained revolt by enslaved people in U. While he awaited trial, Turner spoke with the white attorney, Thomas Ruffin Gray, who wrote their conversations into the following document. Responses ranged from indignation and horror to and sympathy and even satisfaction. Early years Nat Turner was born on a small plantation in Virginia, owned by slaveholder Benjamin Turner. It is the first instance in our history of an open rebellion of the slaves, and attended with such On the night of 21-22 August 1831, Nat Turner, a slave preacher, began an insurrection some seven miles west with a band that grew to about 70. Blacks were Nathaniel Nat Turner was an African 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. 21, 1831, Nathaniel “Nat” Turner launched one of the most historic revolts to end enslavement in Southampton County, Virginia. The images from Nat Turner’s Rebellion — of armed black men roaming the country side slaying white men, women, and children — haunted white southerners and showed slave owners how vulnerable they were On Aug. The Virginia legislature actually debated ending slavery, but chose instead to impose additional restrictions and harsher penalties on the activities of both enslaved and free African Americans. Taught to read by the son of his owner, Turner studied Christianity which he interpreted as condemning slavery. The images from Nat Turner's Rebellion -- of armed black men roaming the country side slaying white men, women, and children -- haunted white southerners and showed slave owners how vulnerable they were Feb 7, 2025 · Nat Turner was a preacher who led a bloody slave revolt in 1831, challenging oppression. Learn about the 1831 slave revolt led by Nat Turner, who believed he was called by God to deliver his people from slavery. Barnes, SI, Gift of Nov 21, 2023 · Discuss Nat Turner and his historical accomplishments. This is because, the Civil Nat Turner's rebellion was one of the largest slave rebellions ever to take place in the United States, and it played an important role in the development of antebellum slave society. Oct 15, 2016 · Nat Turner was aware that plans for other potentially significant uprisings—most famously, Gabriel’s rebellion in 1800 and Denmark Vesey’s conspiracy in 1822—had been disclosed by Apr 8, 2025 · Although Nat Turner's Rebellion is well-documented, and reports of events like the one below are attested, there are few that relate the details of retaliation against slaves and free Blacks following Turner's revolt, and none as detailed as Jacobs' description of the helpless situation of Blacks throughout the South in the fall of 1831. “Nat Turner was an enslaved man who had learned to read and write and become a religious leader despite his enslavement; following what he took to be religious signs, he led other enslaved people in an armed uprising. Nat Turner was an African American slave that led the rebellion, which lasted for four days and led to the deaths of dozens of people. " Discover the gripping account of Nat Turner's courageous uprising against oppression. history, led by Nat Turner in 1831. This lack of thoroughness led initially to the publication of wildly inaccurate rumors and misinformation. Nov 19, 2023 · Nat Turner was a prominent figure of the American slave rebellious movement and one of the most important Civil Rights leaders in history. 1800-1831), an educated slave, the insurrectionists killed at least 55 White people before the revolt was put down, making it the deadliest slave uprising in US history. This program deftly weaves academic commentary with dramatizations to examine that violent confrontation and the multiple, conflicting ways its story has been told. The revolt reinforced the region’s anti-abolitionist views, which lasted Nathaniel Nat Turner was an African 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. Nat Turner's Rebellion, also known as the Southampton Insurrection, was a rebellion led by Nat Turner in August 1831. Nathaniel "Nat" Turner (October 2, 1800 – November 11, 1831) was an enslaved black American and Christian preacher. Click on an image to enlarge it. ” Fear was struck into the hearts of slave owners across the South, leading to harsher slave codes and ending already weak plans for gradual emancipation. Gray published this transcript as The Confessions of Nat Turner, which presented Turner’s religious motivations. history. For some, Nat Turner was a symbol of all that was wrong with the slave Aug 22, 2016 · Painting of Nat Turner. Led by Nat Turner (l. Over the course of 48 hours, Turner and a group of rebel slaves killed more than Oct 21, 2004 · Abstract. After the rebellion, many white militias Virginia: Laws Passed, March 15, 1832 Not all of Virginia’s legislators supported the bill to amend the state slave code that was debated during the 1831-32 session of the General Assembly. Find out the causes, events, and consequences of the rebellion and its impact on U. ” It described the rebels as drunks and the property of slave masters who were “kind and indulgent. She taught her son to hate Nat Turner's Rebellion (also known as the Southampton Insurrection) was a slave revolt in Southampton County, Virginia, between 21 and 23 August 1831. Nat Turner explains the Southampton rebellion, 1831 Introduction to Primary Source: In August, 1831, Nat Turner led a group of enslaved and free Black men in a rebellion that killed over fifty white men, women, and children. Image courtesy of Comic Vine. Learn about the largest slave revolt in U. Poussaint -- Epilogue: Nat Turner in Hollywood / Kenneth S. While still a young child, Nat was overheard describing events that had happened before Nat Turner remained at large, and rumors spread that the rebellion had been part of a much more widespread conspiracy of slaves in Virginia and North Carolina. Michael R. During the legislative process, numerous clauses were struck out of the bill Feb 8, 2023 · The Confessions of Nat Turner, the leader of the late insurrection in Southampton, Va. Jun 26, 2025 · Nat Turner and his rebellion failed, but it exposed the fragility of the institution of slavery and the lengths to which people would go for freedom. Gray (l. The rebellion was Oct 7, 2016 · On August 27, 1831, the Richmond Compiler asked: “Who is this Nat Turner?” At the time, Turner was hiding in Southampton, Virginia, not far from the site where he launched the most important Jun 17, 2020 · Following Nat Turner's rebellion of 1831, legislation to limit Black people's access to education intensified. Unfortunately for Nat Turner and his rebels Local Southampton attorney Thomas Ruffin Gray asked for and was granted permission to interview Nat Turner while he awaited trial in the Southampton courthouse. Gray, met Nat Turner in prison and recorded his account of the slave rebellion in August, 1831. He led the only effective slave revolt in American history in 1831. A former slave, Turner had become a minister, and the event brought attention to the slave movement. Nat Turner Nat Turner was a slave who led a failed 1831 slave rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia. , Turner was a black American slave who led the Southampton insurrection, which has often been seen as the most effective slave rebellion in the South. ) Sep 13, 2016 · It is thought that Nat Turner was holding this Bible when he was captured two months after the rebellion he led against slaveholders in Southampton County, Virginia. Other slaveholding states followed suit, restricting the rights of free and enslaved Black people to gather in groups, travel Born: 1800 Birthplace: Virginia Died: 1831 Nat Turner became known as the leader of the Southampton County, Virginia, slave rebellions in 1831. White militias and mobs hunted down black people Aug 21, 2013 · On this day in 1831, Nat Turner began what would turn out to be the deadliest slave rebellion in American history. history, with many historians arguing that it was a watershed moment for the Old South that precipitated the collapse of the region's antislavery movement and launched its twenty-year-long road Nat Turner’s Rebellion was a significant slave uprising that took place in Virginia in August 1831, led by enslaved African American Nat Turner. Oct 15, 2024 · The fact that Nat Turner may have been schizophrenic or delusional does not disqualify the inherent political nature of his rebellion. In February 1831, an eclipse of the sun convinced Turner that this was a supernatural sign from God to start an insurrection. , as fully and voluntarily made to Thomas R. Nathaniel “Nat” Turner was born in Southampton County, Virginia on October 2, 1800, the son of slaves owned by Benjamin Turner, a prosperous farmer. , by Nat Turner, 1800-1831 On this day, Nat Turner was hanged and hundreds of Black people were killed by white mobs angry about a revolt. In the dead of the night, they rose up Feb 17, 2025 · Turner himself struck the first blow. Nat Turner’s Rebellion, historically known as the Southampton Insurrection, was a four-day slave rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia, in August 1831. The revolt, led by a 30-year-old slave named Nat Turner, would lead to the deaths of over 200 slaves and free blacks, and about sixty whites. As a historical event, Nat Turner’s Slave Rebellion is significant to the history of slavery in the United States and the American Civil War. The work was first published in 1831. Turner’s rebellion echoed in anti-Black, pro-slavery policies and in the opposing fervor of the abolitionist movements across the United States for decades to come. Dec 2, 2009 · Learn about Nat Turner, the enslaved man who led a bloody uprising of enslaved people in 1831. Led by Nat Turner, the rebels, made up of enslaved African Americans, killed between 55 and 65 White people, making it the deadliest slave revolt for the latter racial group in U. Gabriel's Conspiracy in 1800, Nat Turner's Rebellion in Southampton County in 1831, and John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859 deeply shocked white southerners and provided confirmation for those who argued that slavery was Main Article Primary and Secondary Sources (1) Thomas R. 55-65 White people (Cromwell puts the number at 61) before the revolt was put down. C. Gray opens his prefatory remarks with the observation that the Turner rebellion has “greatly excited the public mind,” and by interviewing Turner, he hopes to correct these misimpressions. He remained at the gate with six or eight men; thirty or forty went to the house, half a mile distant. A Digital Archive of historical sources related to Nat Turner and the Southampton County slave revolt of 1831-the only large-scale slave rebellion ever to occur in the United States. com Dec 3, 2021 · Nat Turner was an educated and religious African American slave who claimed to hear commandments from God. Nat Turner's Rebellion was a violent insurrection against white slave owners, killing Nat Turner, a slave owned by Joseph Travis of Southampton County, Virginia, believed that he had been chosen by God to lead a slave rebellion. S. Explore the challenges he faced Feb 9, 2010 · Nat Turner, the leader of a bloody revolt of enslaved people in Southampton County, Virginia, is hanged in Jerusalem, the county seat, on November 11, 1831. Click on the links to read documents related to what happened at each location. One of the important events during his presidency was Nat Turner's Rebellion in 1831. * Nat's mother was born in Africa and had been shipped to the United States as a slave. Turner and 16 of his conspirators were captured and executed, but the incident continued to haunt Southern whites. Learn about Nat Turner's slave rebellion, the impact and significance of the Nat Turner Nat Turner explains the Southampton rebellion, 1831 In August, 1831, Nat Turner led a group of enslaved and free Black men in a rebellion that killed over fifty white men, women, and children. Fear of Insurrection, like the rest of Incidents in the National Response Newspapers and individual citizens across the nation reacted to the events in Southampton in a variety of ways, both publicly and privately. Nat Turner (October 2, 1800 – November 11, 1831) was an enslaved Black carpenter and preacher who led a four-day rebellion of both enslaved and free Black people in Southampton County, Virginia in August 1831. Feb 18, 2025 · On the evening of August 21–22, 1831, an enslaved preacher and self-styled prophet named Nat Turner launched the most deadly slave revolt in the history of the United States. The Nat Turner “Slave Revolt” Trials: An Account by Douglas O. 3b05966u) The Nat Turner rebellion. 1800-1843) following Nat Turner's Rebellion in Virginia (also known as the Southampton Insurrection) of 1831 after Turner had been caught and imprisoned and was awaiting trial. The rebels killed Turner’s enslaver, his family, and every white person they encountered while gathering arms and fresh recruits at plantations whose owners they killed. Turner also began to believe that God had chosen him to free his people from slavery. One-hundred and eighty-five years ago this week, in the early Feb 10, 2024 · On August 21, 1831, Nathanial “Nat” Turner (1800-1831) who was an enslaved man, led his people’s rebellion. history, during which some 60 white persons were slain. Roth, Meredith College Created with Wix. Here is where the stories about Turner and the Southampton Rebellion go in different directions: A Virginia newspaper report at the time described Nat Turner as a “fanatic preacher,” “artful, impudent, and vindictive, without any cause or provocation. It involved enslaved people in Southampton County, Virginia. [1] Nov 23, 2011 · Nat Turner objected, as the delay might prove dangerous; he yielded at last, and it proved fatal. history, this meticulously researched document explores the nature of Southern society in the early 19th century and the conditions that led to the rebellion. A man of remarkable intellect, Turner used his mobility as a preacher to organize a slave revolt in 1831. From BlackPast. Find out how his rebellion influenced the debates on emancipation and abolition in the US. Christopher Klein Scroll over each image to follow the path of the rebels as they traveled from farm to farm on August 21-22, 1831. In the weeks that followed, the fear of further insurrections of enslaved people spread across eastern North Carolina. May 21, 2018 · Nat Turner 's Rebellion The slave rebellion that erupted in Southampton County, Virginia, on the night of August 20, 1831, is arguably the most significant slave insurrection to have occurred in U. “Every thing connected with this sad Mar 23, 2020 · The first full-length study of the bloodiest slave uprising in U. The late insurrection in Southampton has greatly excited the public mind, and led to a thousand idle, exaggerated and mischievous reports. The previous August, Turner, a enslaved preacher and self-styled prophet, had led the only successful revolt of enslaved people in Virginia’s history, leaving fifty Oct 15, 2016 · Nat Turner was aware that plans for other potentially significant uprisings—most famously, Gabriel’s rebellion in 1800 and Denmark Vesey’s conspiracy in 1822—had been disclosed by On August 21, 1831, Nathaniel Turner launched one of the most historic revolts to end enslavement. Nat Turner, an enslaved minister, is thought to have been carrying this Bible when he was captured after the rebellion. 6 days ago · What did Nat Turner do? In Virginia in August 1831, Nat Turner led the only effective and sustained slave revolt in U. In their haste to report the news of the insurrection, however, editors often neglected to check facts, especially in the first chaotic days following the rebellion. Turner is the dominant figure among a trio of insurrectionists who led major uprisings, beginning in 1800 Jan 28, 2024 · Born into slavery, Nat Turner was an enslaved African American preacher with an indomitable spirit. Historians are making new discoveries about the enslaved preacher and his rebels in Mar 11, 2025 · The Confessions of Nat Turner (1831) is the first-person account given by the rebel slave leader Nat Turner (l. org (with Feb 10, 2004 · Nat Turner, leader of the legendary 1831 slave rebellion, has inspired a fierce battle over who he was and what he means to America. Apr 2, 2014 · Nat Turner was the leader of a violent enslaved people rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia, in 1831. In August 1831, a man named Nat Turner led an uprising of enslaved people in Southampton, Virginia, that resulted in the deaths of fifty-five white people and hundreds of black people. Leader of the most important slave rebellion on these shores, variousl In the months following the rebellion, revised slave codes were passed in numerous southern states, including Virginia. Aftermath and Suppression Jul 1, 2014 · Nat Turner's Rebellion for kids Andrew Jackson was the 7th American President who served in office from March 4, 1829 to March 4, 1837. His legacy raises questions about violence and change. Find out how his rebellion sparked new laws, violence, and divisions in the South. Nat Turner’s rebellion led to the passage of a series of new laws. Mar 13, 2025 · Nat Turner's Rebellion Unknown Artist (Public Domain) Between 21-23 August 1831, Nat Turner (l. Turner was ultimately hanged, but the revolt served to harden both sides of the abolition debate. In 1831 he led a two-day slave rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia. Explore the causes, events, and consequences of this uprising that challenged the institution of slavery and the American republic. Nat Turner understood his rebellion as an act of God. Even before he was captured and executed, Nat Turner became regarded as a powerful symbol – a lightning rod for the hopes and fears of individuals on different sides of the slavery issue. The uprising resulted in the deaths of around 60 white Nat Turner’s Slave Rebellion refers to a slave revolt that occurred in 1831 in Virginia. Feb 24, 2021 · Turner himself, one of the condemned, was hanged on November 11, 1831, although not before Thomas R. Nat Turner’s Rebellion Timeline 1800 3 October 1800 Nat Turner was born enslaved on Benjamin Turner’s farm. After his master's family was killed, Turner and his supporters brutally proceeded from house to house in an attempt to spark a bigger slave insurrection. We also recommend an essay by Professor Molefi Kete Asante on the popular representation of Turner, called “The Real Nat Turner” and The Resurrection of Nat Turner: Parts 1 and 2 by Sharon Ewell Foster Sep 7, 2023 · Nat Turner’s Rebellion led to both public debate and a tightening of laws and policies. May 21, 2024 · Virginia and the Rebellion of Nat Turner Inspired by his strong religious convictions, Nat Turner led the strategic planning that led to the start of the 1831 revolt in Southampton County, Virginia. I was Memory In the minds of black and white Americans, Nat Turner quickly emerged as more than simply a man who had led a slave rebellion. Nat Turner's name rings through American history with a force all its own. In speeches and writings, enslavers portrayed themselves not so much as ruthless businessmen exploiting a people for their labor but as kind and well-intentioned enslavers tutoring Black people in civilization and religion. c. But en Nat Turner’s 1831 rebellion struck fear throughout the slaveholding South, which sought to quash his legacy. Mar 10, 2025 · Learn about the 1831 slave revolt led by Nat Turner, an educated slave who claimed to have divine revelations. 95ayw ii bsm5b zzc 80n jk5h 5s1 xaeb rckq8n mcv