Nat Turner Movement Essay

America became accustomed to slavery in 1619 when 20 African American men were put ashore in Jamestown, Virginia. The colonist in and around Jamestown were slow to adopt the institution of slavery, rather they relied on their indentured servants. Most of the servants were English men, who worked on their land and did other jobs for the colonists. The colonists did not see why there was an immediate rush of importing Africans for slaves when they had the servants. As time progressively passed on, more African Americans began being imported to America between 1680 and 1750. However, after the Africans began being imported increasing population grew from 7 percent to 44 percent. A significant event that happened before the ratification of slavery was a rebellion done by a man named Nat Turner. Turner was a very intelligent, religious man, who envisioned his people being free, so he started a slave rebellion, but was then was caught after secluding himself from the town. Turner was the first African American to stand and a start a rebellion against slavery

Nat Turner’s rebellion became known as the “first war” against slavery, and the Civil War later became second. Nat’s rebellion started on August 21, 1831 when he and seven other African American slaves began making their way through a southwestern stretch of Virginia. The men trekked through tangling cypress trees and water oaks, as they quietly approached a nearby home. The house they were headed towards was owned by a white slave owner named, Joseph Travis. Turner demanded respect from his group of men and they did not enter the house until they understood the special instructions from Turner. They killed Travis, his children, wife, and servant in their sleep, they were all axe...

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... As Turner was suspended he did not move a muscle. Nat Turner went calmly to his death hanging from the noose. Nat Turner’s death and rebellion marked a turning point in the history of slavery in America.

Many events occurred before and after Turner’s rebellion that happened due to slavery. The story of Turner stuck out to me because of how he was the one to start the rebellion against what is wrong. Most people do not have the courage to stand up for what they believe because they are afraid of the repercussions. Turner knew the rebellions would not end well for him, but he chose to stand up for him and his people that had and still were being humiliated. After his rebellion, slavery did continue. But what he did caused a turning point in history that caused the abolishment of slavery to occur. To the black slaves, Nat Turner was known as a “hero” (Schleichert).