Nat Turner: Slavery In America

This excerpt was taken from Nat Turner’s Confessions edited by Steven Mintz, Turner details his relationship with his master and what led to his decision to revolt in 1831.

Nat Turner to my option is one of the most well-known and slave rebel in our history, and to this day, his actions are still remains a focus of disagreement. Although Turner’s revolt may have had some adverse effects to solve the problem of slavery, but it did do one thing for sure, it opened many American’s eyes to the issue. Slavery of African Americans, commonly called blacks, was an accepted part of our society during his time frame, and even though during this time it was not frowned upon, it still was not civilized or considered right in anyway. To my opinion, from what I read the opinion of many others that, it was the unjust and hurtful treatment of the slaves by their masters during the 1800’s that eventually led to not only Turner’s slave revolt, but it also was a big help in the movement to abolish slavery.

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.

In this assignment I will be taking a further look into the history of slavery. When thinking of slavery the immediate thought that comes to mind is all the negative aspects of the system. Prior to this research, I was unaware of slave systems that were not based on the long labor hours and the torture of slaves. Granted, there were still forms of slavery that practiced these brutal rituals, where slaves were treated as animals and were malnourished. One prime example of this, is the book titled “Am I Not A Woman And A Sister”, looks at the history of a Bermudan slave named Mary Prince. Another example of slavery that will be incorporated in this paper will come from a source about a woman slave named Semsigul, born in Caucasus an area that

Ophelia Settle Egypt, informally known as Ophie, was an African American woman ahead of her time. She attained the educational status of less than one percent of the American population, was liberal and accepting of others despite the criticism around her, fought to end racism, worked independently of her husband, and believed in limiting family growth. All of Egypt’s beliefs and lifetime achievements represent a new type of woman: a woman who refuses to assimilate to her gender stereotype of weak, inferior, and domestic. Egypt dedicated her life to social work through various activities. She worked as a sociologist, researcher, teacher, director of organizations, and social worker at different times in her life. Egypt’s book, The Unwritten History of Slavery (1968), and the Planned Parenthood Clinic in Southeast Washington D.C. named after her represent Egypt’s legacy and how one person is capable of social change.

“My father and mother strengthen me, and this was my first impression of life saying in my presence, I was intended for some great purpose (Nat turner, Brainyqoute.com)”. From the very beginning Nat Turner knew that he was meant to do something great. On the day of October 2, 1800 the famous Nat turner was born to Nancy Turner his father an unknown slave. Turner grew up with the thought that his father was an escaped slave and was coming back when he got the money to retrieve him and his mother. Nat turner grew up and lived his life in Southampton County, Virginia. The place was predominantly African- American but it didn’t stop the use of slavery in the county.

What is slavery? Slavery is forced labor and this forced labor is what built America and made them become more developed. “Africans peoples were captured and transported to the Americas to work. Most European colonial economies in the Americas from the 16th century through the 19th were dependant on enslaved African labor for their survival.” Many claim that enslavement was very necessary in order for America to thrive and not die off for it is now one of the best countries in the world. However, slavery was not necessary in the Americas it was just a mechanism that just stripped Africans of their human rights, giving the slave masters the “right” to abuse them. Slavery was not necessary in the Americas because without slavery America would

Nat Turner stated that his reason for starting a slave revolt was the signs presented to him by a spirit, which his fellow servants claimed was God. He believed that God had made him his messenger to save his people by creating terror and alarm in order to free blacks. Turner was presented with visions of “white spirits and black spirits engaged in battle”, of which he interpreted as what he was to do. After speaking to a white man about his visions the “appearance of the sign, (the eclipse of the sun last February)” told him he should rise and kill his “enemies with their own weapons”. The Nat Turner slave revolt could result in the tightening of arms on slaves. The turmoil created would lead to suspicion which could also consequently lead to the murder of many innocent African Americans. The white settlers would not be able to distinguish between the slaves who take part in the revolt, and those who fight to protect their own masters.

Nat Turner was an African American man born on October 2, 1800 on a plantation in Southampton County, Virginia. Nat Turner, Was a leader of a violent and deadly slave rebellion. In my paper we will be learning about historical leader Nat Turner who led a slave rebellion that terrorized the south.

This essay is about the Nat Turner’s Rebellion. In the duration of the essay I will be answering the following questions. The following questions are, principles of participants. The development of the Rebellion. The category of Turner. Education and Religion in the rebellion. What happened after the rebellion. VIews and impact on slavery.

Many slaveholding societies lived in fear of those whom they kept in bondage. Populations of slaves generally outnumbered the masters. Anger from the slaves provoked by a life of being held hostage in chains would often spill over into violent uprisings and revolts. These fears became much worse after the rebellion of one certain slave and his comrades. One of the largest slave rebellions to ever take place in the U.S. was the rebellion of Nat Turner. This rebellion is said to be one of the most important ones of its time, but why? This rebellion played an important role in the development of slave societies before the Civil War.

Nat Turner was born into slavery in Virginia in october of 1800. He believed that he was chosen by God to help lead slaves to freedom. In late august in 1831 he led one of the bloodiest slave rebellions in history. This caused the end of the emancipation movement and harsher laws on the slaves. When he was a young boy, people thought he had a rare gift, as he could describe things in detail that happened before his birth, some remarked he would be a prophet according to his confession. His confession also states that his mother and grandmother told him that he was “intended for some great purpose” they raised him very religious and he spent a lot of his time reading the bible and praying. When he believes he got his “sign” from God, while working

According to the story, Nat Turner is a black slave who was in his 20s. Nat ended up becoming a religious leader of slave rebellion. What makes Turner important in history is that the man was the first slave to start a revolution against his masters and white folks. Nat was enlightened when he heard to voice what he recalled as the Spirit, which came down from heaven. He believed it was his fate to change the history and to regain freedom.

From the earliest days of slavery, resistance was a constant feature of American slavery. It took many forms, from individual acts of sabotage, poor work, feigning illness, or committing crimes like our arson and poisoning to escape the system altogether by running away to the north. The bloodiest slave revolt in American history was organize by Nat Turner. Over the year’s other rebellions such as Fredrick Douglas and Lou Smith took place. They all had a common goal in some aspect, which was to reclaim their freedom or the freedom of the enslaved. Despite the common goal, they all had a method to their rebellions.

Throughout this course we learned about slavery and it's effects on our country and on African Americans. Slavery and racism is prevalent throughout the Americas before during and after Thomas Jefferson's presidency. Some people say that Jefferson did not really help stop any of the slavery in the United States. I feel very differently and I will explain why throughout this essay. Throughout this essay I will be explaining how views of race were changed in the United States after the presidency of Thomas Jefferson, and how the events of the Jeffersonian Era set the stage for race relations for the nineteenth century.