While attending Junior High and High school in Washington, DC I was presented with the stories of Nat Turner. But never were the stories or leanings so harsh. I learned that Nat Turner organized and set in motion a one night slaying of slave masters and their families. I was taught that the murder count was only a few dozen. But upon reading the article from "The Confessions of Nat Turner", an article by Thomas R. Gray from an interview with Nat Turner, I was astounded by the events that had happened. There was no slaying, it was a one night "massacre" led by Nat Turner. The murders on the quiet night of August 22, 1831 in Southampton, Virginia was organized by a man who was possessed, had no clue how to use his power of persuasion, and whose …show more content…
Nat Turner believed that God spoke to him and showed him how to live his life. Turner believed that he was "intended for some great purpose". Turner escaped to the woods only to hide from his master not to escape slavery as his father did before him. Turner hid in the woods for over a month where he said he saw entities in the sky of white and black men fighting and killing one another. He believed this was a sign from God, that this was his great purpose he was destined for, slaying his enemies with their own weapons. So after a month in hiding he returned to the plantation, much to the spite of the rest of the enslaved African Americans. Here he came up with a plan with four other black men, who were under his power of persuasion, to go on a one night massacre of as many white people as possible. He didn’t care who it was, young or old, male or female, if they were white and were caught in his path he would slaughter them. He killed over 60 white people that night and around 40 to 50 of his African American followers were killed while helping to execute his deadly plan. What God do you know that would tell a man to kill anyone innocent or guilty, deserving or un-deserving! So I say to you that Nat Turner was no prophet, he was a man possessed by the Devil, not guided by …show more content…
Because of some coincidental events that happened while Turner was a youth the community of enslaved African Americans thought of Turner as a prophet of God. People listened to Nat Turner. They believed whatever he said was the words of God. Turner had the ability to persuade people into doings as he said because of this thought. But instead of doing great things with this gift he sought different measures. Instead of encouraging people to get their education so the whites couldn’t hold them back any longer he told them to kill. Turner had the ability to help the Black community revolt against slavery stand up for themselves, but yet he told them to kill. Turner had the ability to change the way of life in those days but he had no clue what to do with his gift. He was powered by hatred for the white man instead of love for his fellow
After careful consideration, I have decided to use the books dedicated to David Walker’s Appeal and The Confessions of Nat Turner and compare their similarities and differences. It is interesting to see how writings which has the same purpose of liberating enslaved Black people can be interpreted so differently, especially in the matter of who was reading them. Akin to how White people reacted to Turner’s Rebellion, which actually had promising results while most would see the immediate backlashes and to which I intend to explain more. As most would put emphasis on the Confession itself, I assume, I decided to focus more on the reactions and related documents regarding the Rebellion.
The Fires of Jubilee, by Stephen B. Oates, tells an account of Nat Turner’s rebellion. Beginning with Nat’s early life and finally ending with the legacy his execution left the world, Oates paints a historical rending of those fateful days. The Confessions of Nat Turner by Thomas R. Gray and approved by Nat himself is among Oates’ chief sources. Oates is known as a reputable historian through his other works, and has strong credentials however, in the case of The Fires of Jubilee there are some limitations. It is, therefore, worth analyzing Oates’ interpretation for reliability. In doing so one sees that The Fires of Jubilee, because of its weak use of citations, failure to alert the audience of assumed details and the way in which Oates handles the chief source Confessions, quickly begins to shift from a decently steadfast description to an untrustworthy and unreliable account.
An account of the August, 1831 slave revolt led by a slave named Nathaniel “Nat” Turner and happened in Southampton County, Virginia. The event is now known as Nat Turner’s Rebellion and the book is a telling of Nat Turner’s life, the system of slavery that existed in Southampton County and the state of Virginia. The pivotal element of the book is Nat Turner, his life as a slave and why he became the leader of the bloodiest slave revolt in the history of the United States. The author also tells of the tragically brutal events occurring during its suppression.
The story takes place in Southampton County, Virginia where little Nat Turner is introduced. Nat led a normal childhood for the most part, supervised by his beloved grandmother. They were working as slaves on a plantation owned by Benjamin and Elizabeth Turner. The Turners became Methodists due to the emphasis on free will and salvation. The impact of religious institutions on slavery gave whites second opinions on slavery. Methodists, Quakers and anti-slavery Baptist made it their duty to see that their voices were heard.
...s aimed at blacks. I was horrified while reading the fate of Georgia resident, Sam Hose (or Holt), and believe that that occurrence alone would motivate Robert Charles to murder. I was also disgusted with the South's lack of justice. Some whites were tried for murder, and although clearly guilty, received no punishment.
It could be argued that the revolt was entirely reactionary and in response to the myriad of abuses propagated by the white, slave-holding society (Garrison). Slaves were treated as little more than chattel – subject to the caprice and whims of their owners. In one infamous case, a slave woman was executed for killing her master when he attempted to rape her. As a slave, the court literally did not recognize her as a woman but only as an item to be used and abused (Foner 410). Such callous treatment is difficult to fathom, and perhaps helps to put the slave’s rebellion into context; however, Turner’s actions were highly reprehensible in that his slaughter was not confined to those who had perpetrated these abuses, but was instead an indiscriminate massacre of the innocent and the guilty
Born into slavery, Nat Turner was perhaps one exception to the rule; he was a master's worst nightmare come true. Nat Turner was not only an intelligent man, he knew how to read and write; but he was also determined, willing to go to tremendous measures to gain his freedom, even if it meant killing. He was liked by both the whites and fellow slaves, some of whom came to think of him as a prophet, a savior of slaves.
Unfortunantly for the new leaders of the nation, they were left with many issues that challenged American ideals, including slavery. 1831 was a very pivotal year for the beginning of the abolishment of slavery. Soon after the eclipse, fear spread throughout Virginia of a possible slave rebellion. Eventhough some slave owners treated their slaves well, it did not mean they were safe from attack. On August 22, Nat Turner killed his master along with his family, the first account of slave rebellion in history. Turner’s Rebellion instilled fear in southern slave owners that a planned attack could occur at any moment (19). Thomas R. Gray, a slave owner and lawyer interviewed the slaves behind bars. He spoke with Turner for three day...
The Confessions of Nat Turner is divided into two parts: the rush of evil and violence and the calm after the storm. The story of the insurrection is told in flashback as Nat analyzes his actions from his jail cell. Throughout the rebellion, Nat defends himself by saying that God has commanded him to rid the world of white people. However, as he continues through his meditation, he realizes that God may have not been there after all, prodding him along. His first revelation comes when he finds he cannot pray in jail. Though he attempts to do so, the words do not come and he does not feel God's presence. Only after he thinks over the entire ordeal can he begin to talk to God again.
Nat Turner's belief that he was a mystic, born for some great purpose; a spiritual savior, chosen to lead Black slaves to freedom, justified his bloody rebellion against slave owners in Virginia. His actions did not so much spring from the fact that members of his family had been beaten, separated or sold, but rather from his own deep sense of freedom spoken in the Bible. From the time Nat Turner was four-years-old, he had been recognized as intelligent, able to understand beyond his years. He continued to search for religious truth and began to have visions or signs of being called by God. By the time Nat Turner reached manhood, the path his life would take was clear; his destiny would be to bring his fellow slaves out of bondage.
The point that I am trying to prove with my historical investigation is: How did Nat Turner’s rebellion lead to the commencement of the Civil War in the United States thirty years after the insurrection took place. In order to answer this, one must comprehend why the Southampton Insurrection occurred, the influence it left on people and the history of the United States, and the reasons as to why the Civil War was fought. After extensive research, two of my most valuable sources I used were Scot French’s historical book The Rebellious Slave Nat Turner in American Memory and the Rebecca Vaughan House’s project on Nat Turner/1831 Southampton Insurrection Trial & restoration of the Rebecca Vaughan House, located on the Museum of Southampton History.
Music is a universal language, a language that many can speak; however, one that only few can master. One of those masters was Nat "King" Cole. A true legend, Nat not only could carry a song with his voice, but also through his incredible skills with the piano. Today, Nat is most remembered for that soft, soothing and so powerful voice; however he is recognized as one of the greatest jazz pianists of all-time.
When the Nat Turner rebellion occurred, Gray had to have realized how big this story was. Not only had one of the biggest slave rebellions in American history just occurred, but also the authorities had the main instigator alive in a prison cell. Gray probably realized controversy would erupt over what Turner had to say, and so he left for Jerusalem, Virginia right away to interview Turn... ... middle of paper ... ... acts of the number dead are hard to change.
The rebellion began on August 21st 1831 after Nat Turner had two experiences that gave him motivation. It was on February 12, 1831 when Nat Turner first experienced a sign from god. It was solar eclipse that was occurring but he saw it as a “black man’s hand…reaching across the sun.” The second solar eclipse took place in February of 1831 that convinced him to lead a revolt against slavery. The objectives of the rebellion were to convince the African Americans that they have the same rights as though who are white and to bring pain and suffering to those who forced them to the terrible conditions they had to experience. On August 21st, Nat Turner and his group of rebels killed 55 white men, woman, and children. They showed these individuals what it was like to hurt, suffer, and endure pain. The rebellion was successful because groups all over the world, followed Nat Turner and believed that they are equal those of white skin color. It helped lead to other African Americans rebel against the whites. These events helped lead to the civil rights movement.
Slave-owners forced a perverse form of Christianity, one that condoned slavery, upon slaves. According to this false Christianity the enslavement of “black Africans is justified because they are the descendants of Ham, one of Noah's sons; in one Biblical story, Noah cursed Ham's descendants to be slaves” (Tolson 272). Slavery was further validated by the numerous examples of it within the bible. It was reasoned that these examples were confirmation that God condoned slavery. Douglass’s master...