Nathaniel “Nat” Turner was an African American slave who led one of the most violent slave rebellions in history. Born in the year 1800 on Benjamin Turner’s Virginia plantation, Nat was given the advantage of being taught how to read, write, and engage in religion. While occupying himself in these “extracurricular activities”, Nat strongly connected to the idea of becoming a preacher and leader to his fellow slaves in Southampton County. Over the occurrence of many years, Nat worked on a series of plantations. Leading up the rebellion, Nat Turner was primarily under the ownership of the Travis family. The date of August 22, 1831 marks the overall beginning of what is now known as a bloody slave insurrection. On this day, Nat along with a handful of other slaves killed the Travis family and immediately gained a larger group of slave followers to carry out the second step of their rebellion. During the next two days, Nat succeeded in murdering an upwards of 51 white people with the help of 75 fellow slaves. After the rebellion, Nat Turner fled to a nearby area to hide from the punishment that he was bound to receive the moment he was …show more content…
In his confession, Nat goes on to say that as a small child, he would prophesize and tell stories of things that happened before his birth. Amongst all of this stories, Nat’s mother would confirm that the actions indeed happened. Later on in his confession, Nat states that he was called on by the heavens to become a prophet. Within his prophecy days, Nat can be quoted as saying that he was told by the signs of heaven to commence work by slaughtering his enemies with their own weapons. Since he was primarily known as a slave, Nat’s enemies resulted in being the white people/slave owners. Despite the Travis family being nice toward Nat, his calling was more important which led to him killing them along with the other fifty some
Many subtly swore their faithfulness to him. Slaves were normally left unattained on Sunday, as their owners delighted in an evening of associating after chapel. Nat met with some of his dearest companions somewhere down in the forested areas that morning. They all had distinctive identities, yet shared a typical scorn of whites. Nat was sure that marks of Negroes would ascend to his guide when he started his walk of death.
Some of these whites were boiling mad and wanted to avenge the atrocities they had found” (99). When Nat and his men killed the White slave owners and their families—the black insurgents made it worse for their fellow slaves that had been left behind. Around 60 whites and 200 blacks were killed during this rebellion. It is hard to see what was accomplished when so many lives were lost. Before Nat is brought to his death he said, “Was not Christ crucified?”
In The Fires of Jubilee, Stephen Oates describes the events that led to Nat Turner’s rebellion. His goal had been to create a narrative that was realistic and true to the real history behind these events. Upon reading this book, I believe that Oates achieved his goal. He was able to portray the struggles of many slaves during that time, and the fight for the freedom they so much desired.
The Fires of Jubilee: Nat Turner’s Fierce Rebellion, by Stephen B. Oates, is the captivating story of the dramatic events that took place in 1831 in Southampton, VA. Oates depicts a tragic and sad tale about a man named Nat Turner who was born into slavery and his fight for freedom. Ironically, Turner's willingness to do just about anything, even murder, to gain his freedom leads to his own death. The title of this book, The Fires of Jubilee, provokes the reader to truly understand the idea that there is mayhem, trouble, and chaos brewing in the month of August. This narrative was one that kept me on my toes for almost the entire time that I was reading it and was also very riveting.
He led a slave rebellion with seventy other slaves in hopes to end their slavery. He killed his owner and his owner’s family as well as fifty-seven other white people within two days’ time. Turner was Christian and would often hear and see Godly spirits and signs from heaven. The revolt ended with his timely death by hanging in late 1831. I believe the goal of the author was to get others to believe that he killed all those people because of signs he had received from heaven that made him believe he was chosen for a greater purpose (Turner, 2006).
Douglass challenges the “normal” way people think during this time period. The average white-American owned a slave and was racist against blacks. They believed that God created blacks to serve white people. To them this was “a sense of duty to God and man” (Douglass, North Star). They never thought of how slavery affected blacks and believed that it was “normal”.
On one hand, the “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” is a narrative of a slave attempting to become free. On the other hand, it is a narrative of how African Americans are mentally and physically turned into slaves—moreover how white men manifest their superiority. Firstly, Frederick was separated from his mother as a young child, leaving no time for the two to build a relationship; “I received the tidings of my mother’s death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger” (Douglass, 6). Secondly, Edward Covey, one of Fredericks slaveholders, strategies in establishing his dominance was through making him work relentlessly and punishing him when he felt necessary—which almost never was necessary. Frederick understands how slaveholders can make their slaves feel inferior and degrade them through physical power however is intrigued with the idea of how slaveholders dominate their slaves minds.
Rebellions Rebellion: an open, organized, and armed resistance to one’s government or ruler. And I’m not talking about just “rebelling” against your parents by staying out past curfew. Some rebellion involves a degree of defiance that requires violence and law breaking. But others are more silent such as the creation of newspapers. There were plenty of rebellions that shaped history from acts of disobedience, boycotts, newspapers, social movements, and violent uprisings.
According to Clarence Lusane, author of "Nat Turner's Rebellion and the Legacy of Violence", "Southern slave owners doubled down and imposed even harsher conditions on those enslaved, more restrictions on blacks who were "free", and absolute intolerance for white who questioned the institution" (Lusane). Not only were the slaves treated worse, but even the, supposed, free African-Americans were as well. This aspect of the aftermath created because of the rebellion proves how unsuccessful he was in abolishing slavery. The strict rules enforced for the free African-Americans especially angered the North because they already believed that slavery was morally wrong. Having harsh laws subjected to free African-Americans must have been seen as worse, the political factor created more political tension between the North and the South.
Rebellion can occur for many reasons. Some call for social reform, while others want change economically or politically. However, the root of any rebellion is change. This was no different in the slave uprising of Virginia in 1831, led by Nat Turner. Turner was born in 1800, during the peak of slavery in Southampton, Virginia.
“And about this time I had a vision — and I saw white spirits and black spirits engaged in battle, and the sun was darkened – the thunder rolled in the Heavens, and blood flowed in streams – and I heard a voice saying, “Such is your luck, such you are called to see, and let it come rough or smooth, you must surely bear it." said Nat Turner when asked about his historic act of defiance which completely changed the south. Nathaniel “Nat” Turner was a slave born on October 2, 1800, who was known abroad for his mass killing spree in the “white south”. He believed that god chose him to avenge the sins of slavery. No other time has there been a widespread revolt of this caliber that struck slave owners with such fear and despair as this one.
Frederick Douglass has gone down in history as being one of America’s most eloquent speakers. His oratory skills are still admired today and it was impossible for many to believe that this man was once a slave. As the son of a black slave woman and a rumored white man, Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in Maryland. Through his many literary works, Douglass explained the slave system and the harsh reality behind it. The atrocities, injustices and sheer cruelty which emanate from the baseness of human nature come to light in his autobiography.
Nathanial Turner was a slave that lived from 1800 to 1831. According to legend, his mother was so determined not to subject him to a life of slavery that she tried to kill him as soon as he was born. She was tied to her bed and held away from him until she calmed down. After that brief moment, however, Nat’s mother lavished love and affection on him. While Nat was very young, his parents and grandmother searched his head and body for bumps and marks that were, in African religion and folklore, signs of prophecy.
1. Nat Turners Bible. Nat turner was a slave that led a rebellion in the 1800s (artifact) 2. Glass shards and shotgun shells from a church bombing in Birmingham Alabama in 1963 (artifact) 3. The dress That Rosa Parks wore on that faithful day she refused to give up her bus seat 4.
Nevertheless, the atrocity of Nat Turner’s rebellion does not take away from the atrocity of the slave trade. One thing that the enslaved and the slaveholders had in common was the