Nat Turner’s slave revolt.
Considered to be one of America’s most successful slave revolts because of the conversations it forced enslavers and America to have, the Nat Turner slave revolt took place in August 1831 in South Hampton County, Virginia, and it was led by Nathaniel Turner.
Born into slavery in November 1800, Nathaniel Turner was an African American slave and pastor in Virginia.
He learnt to read and write at a young age, being known by many for his intelligence. He was also very religious, always immersed in religious activities.
His life was influenced by the many visions he had, which he believed were messages from God. In 1830, he was purchased by Joseph Travis, a kind master who had faith in him.
On February 12, 1831, Nathaniel Turner saw the solar eclipse and interpreted it as a sign from God to start an uprising. He began purchasing muskets and shared his plan with the four other slaves he trusted.
On August 21, he began his revolt, and in addition to the slaves he trusted, he recruited over 70 more enslaved and free blacks, some of them riding on horses. They travelled from house to house, freeing slaves and killing slave owners.
The revolt succeeded in killing about 60 whites before they were defeated by the state military. Turner, however, managed to escape and avoid capture for over a month.
He was eventually found and arrested. He confessed to spearheading the revolt saying that part of his purpose was to infuse fear into the minds of the whites.
He was hanged on November 11, 1831, in Jerusalem, Virginia, and his body was dissected to make purses as souvenirs for people.
The aftermath of this revolt resulted in whites killing over 150 blacks as they deemed fit. They also passed a very strict law forbidding the blacks from being educated and from attending religious meetings that weren’t led by whites.
