Nat Turner was a African American leader who led the bloodiest slave revolt in the United States

history against slaveholders and the institution of slavery in Virginias Southampton County in 1831. The rebellion demonstrated to the North that the level of anger held by the enslaved, as well as the lengths freedom seekers were prepared to go for liberty. Although his revolt was an isolated event in a remote part of Virginia, it had a profound impact on white southerners. Each October was time of toil for the blacks on the Virginia plantation which was owned by Benjamin Turner, who had twenty-five to thirty blacks who worked on his plantation; caring for six to seven hundred acres of his farm land.1 One day the cry of a newborn baby could be heard outside one of the several living quarters of the slaves, which was located behind Benjamin Turners house.2 However, the Turners knew the care of the mother and child could be managed by the house servants who took care of each other with the guidance and assistance of a wise grandmother.3 Benjamin Turner looked in and asked the servants how everything was going; he felt good about having a new slave boy being born which meant he would have a strong and helpful new slave to add to the value of his estate.4 However, the story tellers of long ago had talked about how the mother given the familiar Christian name of Nancy who arrived in Virginia from Africa how she had to be tied to prevent her from killing her newborn son.5 Therefore, the boy who like his spirited mother was given a Christian name also that of Nat, short for Nathaniel, which in Hebrew meant the gift of

Roy F. Johnson The Nat Turner Slave Insurrection (Murfreesboro, North Carolina. Johnson Publishing Company, 1966). 11 2 Johnson 12 3 Jonson 12 4 Johnson 12 5 Johnson 13

God.6 Nat Turner had been born into slavery on October 2, 1800 in Southampton County, Virginia, five days before the execution of Gabriel Prosser.7 Who in August 1800 led slaves of the Richmond area to an abortive rebellion, and five months after a white leader name John Brown led the 1859 raid on the arsenal at Harpers Ferry, sought to start a slave rebellion in Virginia.8 Nats birth, together with these events, was as a milestone on the long journey of the blacks from bondage to freedom.9 Nats boyhood on the Turner farm did not seem to have been an unpleasant one. Turner and his father Benjamin, grandfather William, and great-grandfather Simon had used black slaves for more than half a century to develop their plantations.10 Therefore, the pacifying influence that the Turners used towards their slaves for years was essential for their successful handling of their slaves.11 In addition, there were old slaves that Benjamin Turner had that belonged to his grandfather as well as others given to him by his father this was the Virginia way of life.12 However, no one on the plantation in 1800 would have thought it possible that a combination of pagan and Christian teaching by the Turners would be reflected in Nats barbaric treatment of whites.13 Nats mother Nancy learned quickly that the slaves had their own social distinction as well as the whites.14 It was the custom among the Turners, as it was in most of the Southern households, for the white and black children to play together while the

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domestics went about their chores.15 The black children received the same advantage of instruction as the whites. There Nat came to learn to read and write.16 Nat had before him the opportunity to obtain all the information that was available to him. Since most Southampton plantations used plans which each master managed their own farm and place a black over each group of slaves to help their master take care of the farm land without interruption among slaves.17 This system had created a feeling of pride among those slaves who did exceptional work on the farm. Slavery had been a tradition in Africa for centuries before coming of the European traders, and during its later stages which was symbolized by brutality and contempt for human life.18 There was a story of a black king of Loango who had brought one hundred slaves to the coast for sale. However, when he found no slaveholders at the coast waiting to purchase slaves he butchered them all in cold blood, because he thought it too be expensive to feed them.19 Slave ships had been moving towards America since 1619. During the colonial period England, this was the trade center for slaves.20 Although, Benjamin Turner and his wife Elizabeth had a few slaves passed on to them by their parents. At least a few of the slaves who shared Nancys company had first-hand knowledge of the harsh slave trade and brought stories of cruelty from other areas.21 From the beginning of slavery fear had been used as a means to control slaves. The blacks received information by underground communication, with the word being passed along by free slaves.

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Slaves moved from one part of the country to another, by black sailors, servants that attended church and blacks who visited the village and city markets. 22 Nats high spirited father left an example of disaffection. He ran away from his master and abandoned his family when Nat was still young, never to be heard from again. By late 1810 Nats old master Benjamin Turner died in his early fifties, Nat was only ten years old at the time and not able to work.23 However, the masters death brought no severance of family ties among the slaves and Nat did not lose touch with his early family or his white playmates. All the old maters thirty something slaves were divided between Elizabeth and her five children.24 Nat, his mother and six other slaves whose names were Sam, Lydia, Drew, Chary, Miver and Elick were already in possession of Samuel Turner, the oldest son. He and his oldest sister Nancy Barratt had established their households one year earlier, with Nancy marrying Thomas Westbrook in 1809.25 Samuel Turner had the means to become a respected and influential planter during this time, but unfortunate for his family and slaves his life would be cut short by his death twelve years after that of his father.26 As the only adult son and executor of his fathers estate it was his responsibility to look after the affairs of his mother, two younger brothers and one younger sister. Nat never showed any desire to become a craftsman like other male slaves had. He was certain this was not his calling. Instead Nat reflected on the prophetic signs as interpreted by his

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elders.27 Meanwhile other things were taking place on and off the Samuel Turner plantation. Nat lost his second master which destroyed any hope he or any other slave may one day be set free. An economic depression made things harder for both master and slave.28 Soon after 1800 cotton had taken the place of tobacco during this time as one of Southampton Countys main export. Turners death came early in 1822 as a disturbing event for most of his slaves. His will provided the slaves with a devastating blow that Nats mother Nancy and two other servants should remain with Nancy Turner, but Nat and nineteen other slaves were to be sold by James Griffin, the executor of Turners estate.29 However, Turner did demonstrate a sense of kindness to two of his late mothers old slaves, giving them life time rights on the plantation. Nats mother Nancy deeply religious had instilled in her son a sense of duty to God as well as a hatred of the institution of slavery; both his mother and grandmother had been born in Africa, so he was exposed not only to the day to day horrors of slavery but also the horrors of the Middle Passage.30 Turners mother also taught him at an early age to believe he possessed supernatural powers. Nat became a Christian through the instruction of his grandmother, Bridget, and mostly read the Bible. Nat married a slave named Cherry in the early 1820s and they had three children. Cherry had concealed coded maps and lists which she helped keep for Nat which he used in his revolt, which experts have never been able to decode.31 After Samuels Turner death Nats family was broken up and sold to different families. Nat went to a neighboring farm owner name Thomas Moore. He was then sold again to a farm owner name Joseph Travis in 1831. Who was a local carriage maker who had married the widow
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Johnson 28 Johnson 32 29 Johnson 32 30 William Styron, The Confession of Nat Turner (California: Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc., 1970). 196 31 Carl L. Bankston, African American History (Pasadena: California Salem Press, 2006). 933
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of Thomas Moore.32 Nat Turner thought of himself as an instrument of God. Between 1825 and 1830, Turner gained respect as a traveling neighborhood preacher. He became deeply religious, fasting and praying in privacy. In his own mind he had been ordained like the prophets of old to perform a special mission. He professed that God communicated with him through voices and signs in the heavens.33 In 1825, Turner had a vision in which he saw black and white spirits

fighting. Three years later, he had another vision calling upon him to fight evil. Nat had communicated this knowledge to a local white man name Etheldred T. Brantley, who Turner had baptized Brantley prepared himself for the changes that were about to come.34 In February 1831, there was an eclipse, which Turner took as another sign. At that point, he spoke to four friends, telling them of his plans to stage a revolt on the fourth of July 1831, but as the time approached, Turner became sick, and so another sign was sought.35 It came on August 13, when a bluish-green haze covered the sun. In the early hours of August 22, Nat Turner had met once more with his small group, which had now grown to include two additional men. Armed only with hatchet and a broadax, they set forth. Turner and his inner circle met at the home of Joseph Travis and killed Travis, his wife and child, and two students.36 For the next forty hours, the group traveled from house to house, killing all whites, with the exception of one very poor white family. Nat and his followers had executed at least fiftyseven white people, on their way to Jerusalem. The day after the Travis killings, Turners men were attacked by a group of armed whites, and within twenty-four hours hundreds of soldiers had

Bankston 934 Bankston 935 34 Dickson A. Mungazi, The Journey to the Promised Land: The African American Struggle for Development Since the Civil War (Westport Connecticut: Praeger, 2001). 56 35 Mungazi 56 36 Andrew L. William, The Oxford Companion to African American Literature ( New York Oxford University Press(US), 1997). 739
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spread out across the countryside of Virginia in search of Nat and his followers. Turners forces became disorganized and scattered.37 Nat Turner managed to hide out but was captured six weeks later. The next day he was taken to the county jail, where he was interviewed for three days by six of the countys justices whose names were Jeremiah Cobb, Thomas Pretlow, James W. Parker, Carr Bowers, Samuel Hines and Orris A. Browne who came together on Saturday, November 5. 38 At this time a large crowd of people gathered in Jerusalem that day, and it was ordered by the sheriff to guard Nat for fear anyone would attempt to help try to free him. Nat was escorted through the mob of people to the courtroom. The first witness was Levi Waller. He had been one of the principal witnesses in Nats previous trails.39 Eleven persons, including his wife, two daughters and eight other school children, had been killed at his place. He had recognized many of the blacks, and he watched them for some time while hiding in a plum orchard. He stated that Nat was in command and he exercised his authority to force the blacks to commit those crimes and follow him.40 No evidence was presented in behalf of Nat and his case was submitted without argument. The chief Magistrate Jeremiah Cobb asked Nat if he had anything to say and if he knew any cause sentence of death should not be passed upon him. The execution was ordered to be held Friday, November 11, at ten in the morning. The last two of Nats fellow friends were hung upon the appointed day with him. During the trials Fifty-three blacks had been arraigned, and of these seventeen were executed and twelve were transported. However, Billy Artis, a free black, had committed suicide before he could be taken

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up, and Berry Newsum, a second free black, was to be hanged on May 11, 1832.41 All of Nats followers were given a decent burial, but the body Nat was not so honored. Instead, Nats body was turned over to the surgeons for dissection. However, the general facts of the Southampton County insurrection had been made know by the press when eastern North Carolina was shaken by reports of bloody uprisings of its own, and these sent a wave of fears rolling to new heights across many parts of the black community.42 The people were unprepared for further alarms; and the danger which accompanied the reports of new revolts and the threats of others. Therefore, two cities Wilmington and Raleigh were put under martial law. Some of the plots turned out to be real, but the bloodshed was limited to execution and lynching of several blacks. The state of uncertainty was so unnerving that people in areas which had large black populations were justified in reappraising the loyalty of the long trusted servants and was considering the possibility of their being led to disaffection.43 The Southampton murders had created a horrible suspicion of the entire black race. The North Carolina General Assembly of 1830-31 was convinced of the seriousness of the threat, for legislation was passed which prohibited any slave or free slave from preaching if caught the pain of thirty-nine lashes, and the penalty of death was allowed for blacks. In addition blacks were forbidden of the ability to learn to read or write.44 The Governor of the North Carolina General Assembly name Stokes told the Assembly on November 22,1831, that restrictive legislation had not produced the desired effect, and he recommended establishment of a more efficient and accountable police, and to arm and equip

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militia and volunteer companies in each county. Before the General Assembly adjourned on March 21, 1832 they had revised the code to further restrict the liberties of the blacks. It was provided that no slave, free black, or mulatto, whether he or she shall have been ordained or licensed, or otherwise, shall not be allowed to preach, conduct or hold any assembly meeting, for religious or other purposes, either in day or at night under a penalty of thirty-nine lashes.45 Black however, was permitted to attend services with the whites or in the day to be addressed in their own assemblies by a licensed white preacher. The free blacks were prohibited to possess weapons; a black assaulting a white person with intent to kill could be executed without benefit of clergy. No one was to sell liquor or purchase it from a slave, and no free black was to sell liquor within one mile of a public assembly.46 In Virginia, the more important topic in the legislation was the open debate on slavery in the General Assembly. The debates major issue was the growing sectionalism within the state among the small non slaveholding farmers of the west and the large planters of the east. The debates produced a resolution in the House of Delegates which was interpreted to mean the following: first that it was not expedient during the session of the House of Delegates to legislate on abolition.47 Secondly, that the black population of Virginia, was a great evil. Thirdly, that humanity and policy in the first place, demanded the removal of the free, and those who would become free. A rise in slave prices was making slaves more desirable. A slave whom sold for $ 400.00 in 1830 would go for about $ 1,100 in 1837, due to the increased demand for slaves in the southwestern states.48 Meanwhile emancipationist societies disappeared from the South and

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increased both in numbers and militancy in the North. But the most arresting fact is that from the troubled year of 1831 to the Civil War of how the slave plots became conspicuously less noticeable. Some Southampton County blacks apparently did not understand fully the true nature of the Nat Turner insurrection.49 Restless spirits of white and black victims are said to have swarmed over the Francis plantation, and at times they could be heard reenacting their bloody struggle. Burrell Jones,

whose daughter Lucinda had been killed by the insurrectionist at the Wallers School, was later made a guard over one of the captives. A friend sought to have Jones kill the black, but he refused to do so. Instead, he cut the mans heel strings and left him.50 After the 1831 Southampton County massacre the people of this and neighboring counties were especially apprehensive upon the arrival of each August the time of unrest and the time of insurrection. Time and again reports of uprisings came and the whites together with their trusted blacks rushed to the swamps where they remained until the scare was over.51 The alarms came so unfailingly in August that eventually the fearful people were said to have developed August madness. It was said that some of the slaves participating in the revolt were so ignorant that they left the gold because they did not know its value but they took the silver which was the common exchange.52

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