Denmark Vessey

Denmark Vessey

Background Information:

    Denmark was born on the island of St. Thomas and sold to the captain of a slave ship, Joseph Vessey when he was fourteen years old.  Over the years Denmark traveled between the Caribbean and the United States helping transport, brand, and sell slaves.  In 1799, he was able to purchase his own freedom after winning a lottery.  Vessey eventually settled in the port city of Charleston South Carolina.


Method of Recruitment:

   In 1815, the black population of Charleston voted to separate from the white Methodist Church of the city.  Vessey and other prominent members of the black community helped form a church that was strictly for the black population of the city.  Vessey became one of the leaders of the  African Church and taught Bible study classes with an emphasis on the Book of Exodus and the escape of the Israelites from Egypt.  Vessey recruited both slaves and free blacks from his church to join his rebellion and his supporters numbered over 1,000.

Plot:

  In 1882, Vessey and other members of his church planned an uprising of the black population of Charleston and the surrounding area.   They planned on launching an attack on July 14th and to take over the city's arsenal and set fire to Charleston.  They intended to kill the governor of South Carolina as well as all the slave owners of Charleston.


Results:

       A member of Vessey's conspiracy alerted his master  of the planned uprising.  That slave owner then informed the authorities who sought to arrest the leaders of the church.  Vessey was arrested on June 22nd, and was executed with five other leaders of the rebellion on July 2nd.  By the end of August over 35 slaves were executed for their connection to Vessey's plan.   Following Vessey's execution the African Church of Charleston was destroyed and the city government passed a series of laws that further restricted the rights of slaves.