Nat Turner’s Fierce Rebellion
Controversial figure: A drawing shows Nat Turner preaching to fellow slaves. PHOTO: THE
GRANGER COLLECTION, NEW YORK
FRIENDS and brothers: We are to commence a great work tonight. Our race is to be
delivered from slavery, and God has appointed us as the men to do his bidding, and let
us be worthy of our calling. I am told to slay all the whites we encounter, without regard
to age or sex... Remember that we do not go forth for the sake of blood and carnage...
Remember that ours is not a war for robbery and to satisfy our passions; it is a struggle
for freedom..."
With these words, Nat Turner launched a bloody campaign against white American
masters in a remote region of southeastern Virginia. On that fateful night of August 22,
1831, more than 50 white people were butchered by his band; many others were
severely wounded or disabled.
"It is the first instance in our history of an open rebellion of the slaves," wrote Thomas
R. Gray, the court-appointed attorney to whom Turner later made a detailed confession.
"It will be long remembered in the annals of our country and many a mother, as she
presses her darling infant to her bosom, will shudder at the recollection of Nat Turner,
and his band of ferocious miscreants."
Brutal suppression
The mass murder of whites by black slaves lasted less than 48 hours. By August 24, the
revolt had been brutally quelled by some three thousand local residents and militiamen,
who unleashed their own "white terror" by chasing and slaughtering many innocent
blacks. They hung freshly severed black heads on signposts as a warning to other
slaves.
The insurgent slaves were shot and killed, or captured and put on trial for execution.
Turner, for whose capture a $1,100 reward had been announced, managed to elude his
pursuers for six weeks. He was finally apprehended on Sunday, October 30, in a cave
under a fallen tree near the residence of his late owner, Joseph Travis.
Once in custody, Turner confessed fully to his crimes, but pleaded not guilty. Gray's
account of Turner's confessions, when published in Richmond early 1832, became the
single significant contemporary document concerning the insurrection. The report —
actually a brief pamphlet of about 20 pages called The Confessions of Nat Turner —
described Turner as the "great Bandit" and a "loomy fanatic"
During his trial, Turner introduced no evidence, submitted no argument. He was
sentenced to death for "plotting in cold blood, the indiscriminate destruction of men, of
helpless women, and of infant children". Legend has it that the sun darkened and a
storm gathered on the day of Turner's execution on November 11, 1831. The
Southampton Insurrection reported: "The bodies of those executed, with one exception,
were buried in a decent and becoming manner. That of Nat Turner was delivered to the
doctors, who skinned it and made grease of the flesh. Mr. R.S. Barham's father owned a
money purse made of his hide. His skeleton was for many years in the possession of Dr.
Massenberg, but has since been misplaced." At the time of his death, Turner was no
more than 31 years old.
Enigmatic figure
One of the most complex, enigmatic and intriguing figures in American history, Turner
was born on October 2, 1800 as the "property" of a wealthy plantation owner. He is said
to have possessed, even as a child, an uncommon intellect, and a probing and
perceptive mind; among other things, he could spell the names of different objects
without any prompting, leave alone education. As he grew up, Turner spent considerable
time in prayer, and claimed a communion with the Spirit. He also got involved in
religious whimsies marked by omens, signs, and visions, and soon became a popular
religious leader among fellow slaves. Ultimately, "Reverend" Turner and his followers
were convinced that he had been chosen by God to lead them to freedom.
Turner believed that God had chosen him to lead a mass rebellion. Why might
other enslaved Blacks have felt compelled to follow his leadership? In your
opinion, was Nat Turner a common criminal or an inspired revolutionary?
Answer the two questions using proper paragraph format using full and
complete sentences. Use evidence to back up your opinion.