1. ANTI-SLAVERY REBELLIONS
Vi r gi ni a R
evol ut i on 1831

3. KEY PO N
I TS

Led by N Tur ner , r ebel sl aves ki l l ed anyw e f r om
at
her
55–65 w t e peopl e, t he hi ghest num
hi
ber of f at al i t i es
caused by sl ave upr i si ngs i n t he Sout h.

The N Tur ner R
at
ebel l i on w put dow w t hi n a f ew
as
n i
days, but Tur ner sur vi ved i n hi di ng f or over t w m hs
o ont
af t er w d.
ar

I n t he af t er m h, t her e w w despr ead f ear , and w t e
at
as i
hi
m l i t i as or gani zed i n r et al i at i on agai nst sl aves.
i

The st at e execut ed 60 sl aves accused of bei ng par t of
t he r ebel l i on.

At l east 100 bl acks, and possi bl y up t o 200, w e
er
ki l l ed by m l i t i as and m
i
obs.

Acr oss t he Sout h, st at e l egi sl at ur es passed new l aw
s
pr ohi bi t i ng educat i on of sl aves and f r ee

4. Causes of the Virginia
Revolution

5. Leaders – Nat Turner
N Tur ner w an ensl aved Am i can w had l i ved hi s ent i r e
at
as
er
ho
l i f e i n Sout ham on C
pt
ount y, Vi r gi ni a, an ar ea w t h
i
pr edom nant l y m e bl acks t han w t es. Af t er t he r ebel l i on, a
i
or
hi
r ew d not i ce descr i bed Tur ner as:
ar
“5 f eet 6 or 8 i nches hi gh, w ghs bet w
ei
een 150 and 160
pounds,
r at her "br i ght " [l i ght -col or ed] com exi on, but
pl
not a m at t o, br oad
ul
shoul der s, l ar ger f l at nose, l ar ge
eyes, br oad f l at f eet , r at her
knockneed, w ks br i sk and
al
act i ve, hai r on t he t op of t he head ver y t hi n,
no
bear d, except on t he upper l i p and t he t op of t he chi n, a
scar
on one of hi s t em es, al so one on t he back of
pl
hi s neck, a l ar ge knot
on one of t he bones of hi s r i ght
ar m near t he w i st , pr oduced by a
,
r
bl ow
.”

6. The Prophet of Cross Keys
"I
hear d a l oud noi se i n t he heavens, and t he Spi r i t
i nst ant l y appear ed t o m and sai d t he Ser pent w
e
as
l oosened, and C i st had l ai d dow t he yoke he had bor ne f or
hr
n
t he si ns of m , and t hat I shoul d t ake i t on and f i ght
en
agai nst t he Ser pent , f or t he t i m w f ast appr oachi ng w
e as
hen
t he f i r st shoul d be l ast and t he l ast shoul d be f i r st .“
N Tur ner 's descr i pt i on of hi s 1828 vi si on N Tur ner
at
at
di spl ayed r em kabl e abi l i t i es f r om an ear l y age. H t aught
ar
e
hi m f t o r ead and conduct ed exper i m s i n t he m
sel
ent
anuf act ur e
of gunpow , paper and sand-cast m di ngs. Even w
der
ol
hen he w
as
a sm l chi l d, f el l ow sl aves cam t o hi m f or hel p pl anni ng
al
e
secr et act i vi t i es. N bel i eved he w dest i ned f or som
at
as
e
gr eat m ssi on. To pr epar e hi m f , he r ef used t o t ouch
i
sel
t obacco, m
oney or l i quor and spent m
uch t i m f ast i ng and
e
m t at i ng. H had a r eput at i on as a hol y m
edi
e
an--w ch pl ayed
hi

7. N
at
Tur ner
had a ser i es
of
vi vi d
vi si ons, w ch he bel i eved r eveal ed hi s
hi
m ssi on--t o l ead sl aves i n a w
i
ar f or
f r eedom H expect ed a f i nal si gn t el l i ng hi m
. e
w
hen "I shoul d r i se and pr epar e m
ysel f and
sl ay m enem es w t h t hei r ow w
y
i
i
n eapons.“ H
e
chose an i nner
ci r cl e of
onl y f our
di sci pl es--H y Por t er , H k Tr avi s, N son
enr
ar
el
W l l i am and Sam
i
s
uel Fr anci s--and even t hey
w e not t ol d al l hi s pl ans. The gr oup
er
devel oped w de cont act s am
i
ong sm l f ar m of
al
s
Sout ham on, w e sl ave-ow s t ypi cal l y
pt
her
ner
had t hr ee or f our sl aves. N
at t r avel ed
pr eachi ng, l ear ni ng about t he r oads and
i dent i f yi ng pot ent i al r ecr ui t s. H f i l l ed
e
pages w t h m
i
aps and pl ans--of t en w i t t en i n
r

8. Development

Bel i evi ng i n si gns and hear i ng di vi ne voi ces, Tur ner had a
vi si on i n 1825 of a bl oody conf l i ct bet w
een bl ack and w t e
hi
spi r i t s. Thr ee year s l at er , he had w
hat he bel i eved t o be
anot her m
essage f r om G I n hi s l at er conf essi on, Tur ner
od.
expl ai ned "t he Spi r i t i nst ant l y appear ed t o m and sai d t he
e
Ser pent w l oosened, and C i st had l ai d dow t he yoke he
as
hr
n
had bor ne f or t he si ns of m and t hat I shoul d t ake i t on
en,
and f i ght agai nst t he Ser pent . " Tur ner w d r ecei ve
oul
anot her si gn t o t el l hi m w
hen t o f i ght , but t hi s l at est
m
essage m
eant "I shoul d ar i se and pr epar e m
ysel f and sl ay m
y
enem es w t h t hei r ow w
i
i
n eapons.“

Tur ner t ook a sol ar ecl i pse t hat occur r ed i n Febr uar y 1831
as a si gnal t hat t he t i m t o r i se up had com
e
e.

9. The Nature of the Revolt



The N Tur ner R
at
evol t , hat ched one of t he m
ost
i m t ant Sout her n st at es had cl ear obj ect i ves:
por
St ar t ed w t h onl y 6 m but as he m
i
en,
oved f r om
pl ant at i on t o pl ant at i on, he per suaded ensl aved
bl acks t o j oi n t he st r uggl e. Af t er m chi ng 20
ar
m l es, 70 m enl i st ed i n t he cause
i
en
St r i ke t er r or i n t he hear t s of t he w t e
hi
popul at i on
O ai n ar m i n t he count y’s t ow of Jer usal em
bt
s
n

10. 
R
ebel l i on
The r ebel s spar ed al m
ost
none w
hom t hey
encount er ed. A sm l chi l d w hi d i n a f i r epl ace
al
ho
w
as am
ong t he f ew sur vi vor s. The sl aves ki l l ed
appr oxi m el y si xt y w t e m
at
hi
en, w en and chi l dr en
om
bef or e Tur ner and hi s br i gade of i nsur gent s w e
er
def eat ed. A w t e m l i t i a w t h t w ce t he m
hi
i
i
i
anpow
er
of t he r ebel s and r ei nf or ced by t hr ee com
pani es of
ar t i l l er y event ual l y def eat ed t he i nsur r ect i on.

11. August 21, 1831
O t hi s day i n 1831, N Tur ner began w
n
at
hat w d t ur n out t o
oul
be t he deadl i est sl ave r ebel l i on i n Am i can hi st or y. O
er
ver
t he cour se of 48 hour s, Tur ner and a gr oup of r ebel sl aves
ki l l ed m e t han 50 w t es i n Sout ham on, Vi r gi ni a.
or
hi
pt
I n August 1861, t hi r t y year s af t er t he upr i si ng and i n t he
heat of t he C vi l W , The At l ant i c publ i shed t he f ol l ow ng
i
ar
i
det ai l ed account of N Tur ner 's sl ave r ebel l i on. The aut hor ,
at
Thom W w t h H ggi nson, w an ar dent abol i t i oni st and
as ent or
i
as
soon-t o-be col onel of t he U on's f i r st bl ack r egi m . H
ni
ent
e
t ol d N
at Tur ner 's st or y w t h em hy and under st andi ng,
i
pat
em
phasi zi ng t he r easons w t he r ebel sl aves f el t j ust i f i ed
hy
i n com i t t i ng m
m
ass m der . W l e m
ur
hi
any Sout her ner s ar gued
t hat w t e pl ant er s t r eat ed sl aves w l , N
hi
el
at Tur ner 's
r ebel l i on suggest ed a di f f er ent st or y. W i t i ng j ust f our
r
m hs af t er C eder at e f or ces f i r ed on For t Sum er , i t 's
ont
onf
t
l i kel y t hat H ggi nson ai m t o i nspi r e r eader s t o t ake a
i
ed
st and agai nst sl aver y, and j oi n t he U on cause.
ni
C ol i ne Ki t chener
ar

12. Suppression
"Sl aves w e w pped, hung, and cut dow w t h sw ds i n t he
er
hi
n i
or
st r eet s, i f f ound aw f r om t hei r quar t er s af t er dar k. The w e
ay
hol
ci t y w i n t he ut m
as
ost conf usi on and di sm and a dar k cl oud
ay;
of t er r i f i c bl ackness, seem t o hang over t he heads of t he
ed
w t es.... G eat num s of t he sl aves w e l ocked i n t he
hi
r
ber
er
pr i son, and m
any w e `hal f hung,' as i t w t er m t hat i s, t hey
er
as
ed;
w e suspended t o som l i m of a t r ee, w t h a r ope about t hei r
er
e
b
i
necks, so adj ust ed as t o not qui t e st r angl e t hem and t hen t hey
,
w e pel t ed by m and boys w t h r ot t en eggs.“
er
en
i
-Henr y Br own, who escaped sl aver y i n
R chm , Vi r gi ni a
i
ond

13. Capture of Nat Turner
N
at Tur ner capt ur ed by M . Benj am n Phi pps, a l ocal
r
i
f ar m .
er
The r ebel l i on w
as suppr essed w t hi n t w days, but
i
o
Tur ner el uded capt ur e unt i l O ober 30, w
ct
hen he w
as
di scover ed hi di ng i n a hol e cover ed w t h f ence r ai l s.
i
O N
n ovem
ber 5, 1831, he w t r i ed f or "conspi r i ng t o
as
r ebel and m ng i nsur r ect i on", convi ct ed and sent enced
aki
t o deat h. Tur ner
w
as hanged on N
ovem
ber
11
in
Jer usal em
,
Vi r gi ni a.
Hs
i
body
w f l ayed, beheaded and quar t er ed. Tur ner r ecei ved no
as
f or m bur i al ; hi s headl ess r em ns w e ei t her bur i ed
al
ai
er
unm ked or kept f or sci ent i f i c use. H s skul l i s sai d
ar
i
t o have passed t hr ough m
any hands, l ast bei ng r epor t ed
i n t he col l ect i on of a pl anned ci vi l r i ght s m
useum
f or G y, I ndi ana despi t e cal l s f or i t s bur i al .
ar

14. Consequences

15. 



The ki l l i ng of w t es sent pani c and
hi
shock sent t hr oughout Vi r gi ni a and
near by st at es.
N m
ew easur es i m em ed t o suppr ess
pl ent
r el i gi ous act i vi t i es.
D
ebat es r e-opened on Af r i can
col oni zat i on. The aut hor i t i es w ed t o
ant
r ai se f unds t o suppor t t he m
ovem
ent of
bl acks t o Li ber i a, Af r i ca
M der of bl acks suspect ed of
ur
par t i ci pat i ng i n t he r evol t . Tur ner and
16 ensl aved bl acks w
ent t o gal l ow
s
al ong w t h 43 ot her “f r ee N oes”
i
egr

16. Quotes by Nat Turner

17. The Confessions of Nat Turner
(1831)

“m f at her and m her st r engt hened m i n t hi s m f i r st i m essi on, sayi ng
y
ot
e
y
pr
i n m pr esence, I w i nt ended f or som gr eat pur pose, w ch t hey had
y
as
e
hi
al w
ays t hought f r om cer t ai n m ks on m head and br east .”
ar
y

“I of t en saw at pr ayer s, not i ci ng t he si ngul ar i t y of m m
y anner s, I suppose,
and m uncom on i nt el l i gence f or a chi l d, r em ked I had t oo m
y
m
ar
uch sense t o
be r ai sed – and i f I w I w d never be of any ser vi ce t o any one – as
as,
oul
a sl ave.”

H ng soon di scover ed t o be gr eat , I m
avi
ust appear so, and t her ef or e
st udi ousl y avoi ded m xi ng i n soci et y, and w apped m
i
r
ysel f i n m er y,
yst
devot i ng m t i m t o f ast i ng and pr ayer .
y
e

I w st r uck w t h t hat par t i cul ar passage w ch says: "Seek ye t he ki ngdom
as
i
hi
of H
eaven and al l t hi ngs shal l be added unt o you.“

And about t hi s t i m I had a vi si on — and I saw w t e spi r i t s and bl ack
e
hi
spi r i t s engaged i n bat t l e, and t he sun w dar kened – t he t hunder r ol l ed
as
i n t he H
eavens, and bl ood f l ow i n st r eam – and I hear d a voi ce sayi ng,
ed
s
"Such i s your l uck, such you ar e cal l ed t o see, and l et i t com r ough or
e