Turner's Rebellion

Background:

  Nat Turner was born a slave in Southampton County Virginia in 1800. Turner was a deeply religious man who eventually became a preacher as an adult.  In 1821, Turner ran away from his overseer but returned after having a vision that told him to honor his earthly master.  Turner would have two more visions while a slave, each one he felt was a sign from God that was calling him to action.


Method of Recruitment:

    After witnessing a solar eclipse, Turner believed he had received his final vision calling him to action.  He gathered four of his closest followers on August 21st,  and they prepared a dinner where he explained what their mission from God was.

Plot:

   That night Turner and his followers killed his master and his family while they were sleeping.  The group then traveled to nearby plantations killing the slave owners and recruiting the slaves to join them. Over a period of 36 hours Turner and his men had killed 55 white men, women, and children.  His forces numbering over 40, Turner attempted to take over the town of New Jerusalem.  They were met by militia and federal troops and fighting occurred scattering Turner's forces.  Turner went into hiding and was captured on August 30th.

Results:

   Turner was hanged and later skinned on November 11th.  The government of Virginia executed 55 slaves over the next two months.  While across Virginia and North Carolina angry white mobs began to execute any slave or free black man that they believed was connected to Turner's Rebellion.   200 people were executed for believing to have been connected to Nat Turner.   Many state's began to reorganize their slave codes to impose harsher penalties on slaves and further limit the rights of free blacks in the South.