Nat Turner Essay

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Nat Turner’s Rebellion was one of the few slave revolts that took place during the early 1800s. Countless attempts at freedom by slaves were not successful due to a lack of precision and planning that Nat Turner’s Rebellion possessed. Turner spent years gathering information and planning the specific details of the revolt he led. Turner researched the various people he targeted and focused on during the events in the rebellion. Nat Turner’s Rebellion influenced the abolition of slavery and the ways individuals are dealt with present-day human trafficking. The rebellion shows the tactics Turner used when he created an effective and life changing rebellion. The revolt and uprising of slaves during the time period was uncommon, since slave owners had not treated slaves in a harsh manner. The ways in which Nat Turner worked to combat against slavery were evident through his childhood, where he spent hours each day reading and analyzing the bible. He spent several years planning the different aspects of the rebellion, doing his best to minimize the possibility of exposing slaveowners to the plan for the rebellion. The events following the rebellion led to massive changes to the institution of slavery.

The consequences of the rebellion were very well known in the state and county. Immediate consequences were obviously the lost lives of the fifty-something whites. Many other slaves lost their lives as the militia began to fight and shut down Nat’s group. The entire county and state was on alert for any suspicious activity coming from any slaves. There was no way to tell if this was just the beginning or the ending. Rumors spread quickly throughout the state that Nat’s rebellion was only the beginning and that many other slaves outside of his county were planning to revolt as well. These rumors proved to not be true, but because the residents of the state were on high alert, many innocent, free blacks and slaves were killed simply for being suspicious. There were trials and hangings publicly in Virginia and North Carolina. The lives lost due to this rebellion went far beyond the men and women killed on the first two days by Nat and his crew.

Nat Turner’s rebellion left a large scar across Southampton, not only physically in the land, but in the minds of both the citizens and the rest of the country as debates about the abolition of slavery started to really heat up. Confusion and chaos took over the entire south as questions about why Nat ad rebelled came up. Why did he commit violence in an area where the master-slave relations were much better than many other southern counties (101)? The largest concern was if a rebellion as violent and as fierce in a mellow place like Virginia, what would happen in the “deep” south (105)? Rumors of slave plots spread to the border of Virginia and North Carolina and people were in a state of disarray. Any slave suspicious of participating in, or starting a rebellion would be killed

Nat Turner was an African American slave who was born in Southampton County, Virginia on October 2, 1800. He started working on southern plantations 1831. When he was younger, everyone thought of him as being very smart. They saw that he was smart when he was about 3 or 4 years old. While young Nat Turner was playing with some of his friends, his mother heard him tell the children about something that had happened to him when he was born. She later had asked him about what he told the children. She asked him details about the incident, and it confirmed that he knew about this past event. From that time on, other slaves believed that in addition to his unique view, his physical markings were a sign that he would be a prophet.

After reviewing the documentary and readings, the lasting impression i have of nat turner and the revolt is amanzed by how they use spirtually motivaed resistance. Nat Turner believed God sent him a sign to rebel against people who were oppressing Africans no matter what age or gender. He refused to go another day being treated like a slave by first killing his owner then on to the next White slave owner until he was lynched. Even though, I feel Nat turner used God's words in order to convience other slaves to kill slave owners. If Nat Turner was so godly he would have followed God's commanents and not killed anyone, But on the other hand many things would not have been accomplished with out

Nat was a leader among his fellow slaves, because he could read he was more educated and had more of a chance than the other slaves, they respected this and followed him. He was a Preacher among his fellow slaves, because he could read he could lead his brothers and sisters in religion.

Nat Turner is the story of slavery and the horrors that led Turner to lead one of the bloodiest slave revolts of the time. It is told vividly through wordless images and occasional confession excerpts from Thomas R Gray’s book “Confessions of Nat Turner”. We learn and experience slavery and Turner’s tumultuous life story as he retells it in his confession to Thomas R. Gray. We learn about how Africans were hunted, shackled, branded, and transported in rat-infested ships; how they were humiliated, inspected, and sold; how they lived or existed; and the hopelessness and cruelty they experienced from their owners. Children were taken from their mothers, and would likely never see them again.. We also learn about Nat Turner: how he was told he was special, bright and inquisitive, and how he heard others saying he was destined for greatness. We also learn about how a young Nat Turner self-taught himself to read. This is fairly remarkable considering the fact that he never was given a formal education. We learn the circumstances of his life, ending with his execution for leading a bloody slave revolt in 1831. Baker’s graphic novel vividly, and effectively illustrates the historical, sociological, and psychological significance of the historical events which took place in our nation many years ago.

     The history of the United States is filled to the brim with an abundance of significant events. Over the course of this nation’s young history there have been numerous social institutions. Many have been a necessity in our development. However, the US was home to one of the greatest atrocities committed on mankind. The institution of slavery is not only the most embarrassing but most sever infraction on the natural rights of man. At times there were in excess of three million black Americans enslaved in this country. It was not the dismal living conditions nor the bleak existence they lived that led them into a resistance of slavery. It was the theft, the

Out of the choices I had to pick from for my analysis. I chose the painting, “Slave Ship” by Joseph Turner, due to the chaos I see in the painting. Not only is the event being portrayed very chaotic, but the painting itself is full of turmoil as well. The painting has vigorous brush strokes and the colors seem to melt together in areas, leaving the sky and the sea hard to distinguish in the middle portion of the painting. The artist also uses bright and dark colors, allowing the creation of pandemonium that I feel when I see this work. You can see the beginning of a storm on the left of the painting along with a boat heading into the rougher waters caused by the weather, resulting in the bow to be propelled upward.

The race riots of the 1960’s was a time of civil unrest caused by ill treatment of any people of color, and lead to many protests demanding civil rights, which eventually lead to Civil Rights act being passed in 1964 and similar acts being passed later. Following the riots in 1967 the Kerner commission was established with the sole purpose of investigating the reason behind the Race War and make recommendations for future occasions. What they discovered was that people of color were outraged by the lack of opportunity. To put it simply: “what makes them (white people) better than me (people of color), the same basis of Nat Turner’s rebellion. This caused Nat to be an idol in the eyes of the african american community that was fighting oppression at the time.

Roving bands of white militia butchered innocent slaves in retaliation for Nat Turner’s revolt. Similarly, Nathaniel Bacon’s men slaughtered peaceful Indians when they could not find violent Indians

Nat Turner’s impact on human history was substantial. His initial goal of freeing his people of slavery was not accomplished initially. However, his expression of fearlessness and determination was a key point in the disintegration of slavery 34 years after his death. Ever since the attacks, Nat Turner and his life history have been well documented. There are so many people that have been affected by Nat Turner’s life. People have been left with questions that cannot be answered about the rebellion. In order to look for answers to Turner’s controversial actions, we look toward the authors, producers, and historians who have studied Nat Turner and his life.

To what are the limits are you truly capable of going when faced with your humanity being stripped? We say we would take a stand and resist however, if that is the case, why did you not take a stand the day your boss spoke down to you or the day that the one guy/girl embarrassed you in class? I mean some of us would but for most of us, where is the same courage when actually in the situation? The answer is there isn't any! There is no backbone for most people and we all must thoroughly analyze the strength of those truly oppressed and even greater the ones who while oppressed displayed true courage as they revolted. The actions of Nat Turner to oppose authority by leading one of the biggest slave rebellions in United States history communicates true courage and virtue during a time of conventional harsh hatred for African Americans. The Confessions of Nat Turner is a first person narrative from Nat Turner himself focusing on the slave rebellion that took place in Southampton County, Virginia, during August 1831.

Nat Turner (1800 – 1831 ) was born into generational slavery but was still seemingly sheltered from the harsh realities of the world not only by his family but by his master Benjamin Turner who all argued that Nat “had too much sense to be raised in bondage” and that he “would never be of any service to anyone as a slave” (p.13). Though he later became a field slave subjected to harsh labor conditions after reaching the age of twelve and he could no longer associate freely with the white children on the plantation that he and his family lived on, in a way Nat remained a coddled slave by other slaves and his masters for the early parts of his life before reaching adulthood. Minor things like congenital bumps and scars on his body and head led other slaves and his parents to fill Nat’s head with the idea that he was a prophet (p.12) and therefore destined for great things. Also, the fact that his master, Benjamin, not only praised Nat for being intelligent and literate but actively encouraged him to read the bible and took him to gospel meetings (p.13) shows that Nat was pampered in a way that most slaves never had the luxury of every witnessing or experiencing. One thing that is undisputed, is that every person that had met Nat Turner whether slaves, free blacks or white southerners (slave owner or not) all saw him as an enigma. The mysticism surrounding Nat and the events that seemed major and minor that made the self-proclaimed prophet lead the most violent slave uprising