Nat Turner’s Rebellion

To the white residents of Southampton County, it came as a surprise that a slave named Nat Turner was the leader of a slave rebellion that resulted in the deaths of 55 white people. This rebellion, which Turner believed was directed by God, became one of the most famous slave insurrections in U.S. history.

Nat Turner was born in Southampton County, Virginia on October 2, 1800. As a young boy, Turner was recognized as being highly intelligent. His keen sense was noticed when he was about three or four years old. While he was playing with other children, his mother overheard him telling them about something that had happened before he was born. She asked him details about the incident, and it confirmed that he knew about this past event. Thereafter, other slaves believed that in addition to his unique perception, his physical markings were a sign that he would be a prophet.

In adulthood, he became a preacher. As a young man, he began having visions that he believed were from God. Turner had three visions prior to the rebellion in 1831. His first vision occurred in 1821, after he had run away. While hiding out in the woods, he was prompted to return after a vision from the Spirit who directed him to "return to the service of my earthly master." After thirty days in the woods, he returned to his master.

His second vision came in 1825 after he had seen "lights in the sky." He prayed to find out what it meant. His prayers were answered when ". . . while laboring in the field, I discovered drops of blood on the corn, as though it were dew from heaven . . . I then found on the leaves in the woods hieroglyphic characters and numbers, with the forces of men in different attitudes, portrayed in blood, and representing the figures I had seen before in the heavens."

On May 12, 1828 he had his third vision. He ". . . heard a loud noise in the heavens, and the Spirit instantly appeared to me and said the Serpent was loosened, and Christ had laid down the yoke he had borne for the sins of men, and that I should take it on and fight against the Serpent, for the time was fast approaching when the first should be last and the last should be first. . . . And by signs in the heavens that it would make known to me when I should commence the great work . . ." Then in February of 1831, an eclipse of the sun occurred, and Turner believed that this was a sign to begin planning. He told four other slaves, and they planned the attack for the 4th of July, but they had to cancel due to Turner being ill.

Plans were postponed until August 20th. On that evening, Turner and six other men met in the woods, and at 2:00 a.m. they set out for the house of Turner's master. There they killed his master's entire family and proceeded to go house-to-house, sparing no one. In the process, they had gained the assistance of 40 slaves who helped kill at least 55 white people.

The rebellion came to an end when Turner and the other slaves were pursued by the militia. During the pursuit, some slaves were captured, and about 15 were hanged. Turner escaped and hid out for about six weeks until he was captured, imprisoned, and on November 5, 1831, he was sentenced to execution. While in prison, he dictated his confession to Thomas R. Gray. On November 11, he was hanged and skinned.

As a result of the insurrection, Virginia debated about ending slavery but decided against it. Instead, more stringent laws were imposed upon both free blacks and slaves.

NARRATIVE OF THE INSURRECTION

Early in the morning of August 22, 1831, a band of eight Black slaves, led by a lay preacher named Nat Turner, entered the Travis house in Southampton County, Virginia and killed five members of the Travis family. This was the beginning of a slave uprising that was to become known as Nat Turner's rebellion. Over a thirty-six hour period, this band of slaves grew to sixty or seventy in number and slew fifty-eight White persons in and around Jerusalem, Virginia (seventy miles east of Richmond) before the local community could act to stop them. This rebellion raised southern fears of a general slave uprising and had a profound influence on the attitude of Southerners towards slavery.

Since the 1790's when slaves rebelled in Santo Domingo and slaughtered 60,000 people, Southerners realized that their own slaves might rise up against them. A number of slave revolt conspiracies were uncovered in the South between 1820 and 1831 but none frightened Southerners as much as Nat Turner's rebellion.

Nat Turner was born a slave in Virginia in 1800 and grew to become a slave preacher. Gradually he built a religious following justifying revolution against his white masters. He believed that God had chosen him to lead the blacks to freedom. After seeing a halo around the sun on August 13, 1831, Turner believed this to be a sign from God to begin the revolt. Beginning on August 22 and lasting for two days, Turner and seventy recruits went on a rampage. They killed Turner's master and fifty-eight more men, women and children. Many blacks did not join Turner because they feared the futility of his effort. The revolt was crushed within two days and Nat Turner managed to escape.

The first report of the Turner revolt was sent in the form of a letter from the Postmaster of Jerusalem to the Governor of Virginia. This letter as sent by way of Petersburg and was first published in the Richmond Constitutional Whig of August 23, 1831. The text read: "Disagreeable rumors have reached this city of an insurrection of the slaves of Southampton County, with loss of life, in order to correct exaggerations, and at the same time to induce all salutary caution, we state to following particulars. An express from the Honorable James Trezevant states that an insurrection had broken out, that several families had been murdered, and that those Negroes were embodied, requiring a considerable military force to subdue them."

"The names and precise number of the families is not mentioned. A letter from the Postmaster corroborates the intelligence. Prompt and efficient measures are being taken by the Governor, to call up a sufficient force to put down the insurrection, and place lower Virginia on its guard."

"Serious danger, of course, there is none. The deluded wretches have rushed on assured destruction." "The Fayette Artillery and the Light Dragoons leave here this evening for Southampton -- the artillery to go in a Steamboat and the troop by land."

This group of 40 (or so) Blacks, led by Nat Turner, terrorized the white population of Southampton County, Virginia and killed 60 whites before the Virginia Militia and local residents killed or captured the insurgents. Even though the rebellion was over on August 23, the leader of the Blacks, Nat Turner, escaped capture by the militia.

On August 24, militia units from the surrounding counties descended on Jerusalem, Virginia and a massacre of Blacks in Southampton began. Much of this torture and killing of Blacks was done by vigilante groups, bent on revenge. Hundreds of blacks were killed, most of whom were totally innocent of any involvement or knowledge of Nat Turner's rebellion.

By August 31, 1831 almost all of the insurgents had been captured with the exception of Turner himself. Despite a large-scale manhunt and a continuing stream of newspaper accounts of his escape or capture, he was able to hide in the woods of Southampton, not far from where the rebellion had begun.

On October 31, Benjamin Phipps, a local farmer, spotted and captured Nat Turner at gunpoint. On November 5, Turner was convicted of insurrection and sentenced to hang and on November 11 the sentence was carried out.

The first newspaper report of Nat Turner's capture was printed in the American Beacon of Norfolk, Virginia on November 2, 1831. This report came in the form of a letter from the postmaster of Jerusalem, Virginia (T. Trezevant) to the editor of the Norfolk Beacon and read as follows:

TOUSSAINT L’OVERTURE (1743-1803)
Liberator of the Haitian Slaves

During the 17th Century there were 2,000,000 black slaves in Saint Domingue. The cruel treatment by the white slave masters made the slaves more determined to free themselves from slavery.

Many slaves were escaping and using various means of taking revenge on the the whites — some used poisons, others tried to wreck the economy by burning the crops and killing the most valuable slaves. Macandal, a slave who had escaped and had succeeded in poisoning several slave masters, was caught and ordered to be burned alive on a January afternoon in 1758. A boy of 15, Toussaint, watched Macandal twisting and writhing in the flames. At the same time the white people laughed, joked and mocked at Macandal’s agony. The slaves looked on in horror. This sight filled Toussaint with one ambition: to rid Saint Domingue of slavery and free his black brothers and sisters.

Toussaint Breda, as he was then called, was born on the night of May 20th, 1743 in Cap Francis. He was the son of two slaves who toiled on a plantation in Cap Francis. Toussaint was a sickly child, but as he grew up his body hardened with the harshness of slavery. He was taught arithmetic, and how to read and write French and Latin. His father taught him the Arada language and how to use herbs for medicine. Toussaint was aware of the importance of his African ancestry by the stories his mother and father told him about Africa, and the tactics that were employed in war by the various African Kings, and warriors.

When Toussaint was old enough to take up duties as a slave he was put in charge of the cattle. He did his work well, but was saddened at the menial mechanical jobs Blacks were given. Daily he would watch his fellow slaves working on the sugar plantations, laboring under the lash of the whip. Toussaint was very clever, he hid his feelings: he smiled at the overseers and gave the impression that he was happy and contented; but always the sight of Macandal twisting in agony lingered in his memory, and the promise he made to free his people.

At the age of 12, Toussaint could jump on a horse at full speed and make it perform anything he wished. He could also swim across a dangerous river without being in danger of drowning. By the time Toussaint was 21 be had read quite a lot on military art, economics, and politics.

Slavery usually dulls the intelligence of a slave and degrades his character, but as we will see, Toussaint was not dulled or marred by slavery in any way.

The enslavement of the Black people continued, cruel and harsh as ever. Toussaint was growing old — he was in his forties when the Bastille in France fell in 1789. The Blacks in Saint Dorningue became ever more restless with a greater desire for freedom. During the night the slaves would beat out the messages on the torn-toms informing each other of their planned uprising.

In the late hours of August 1, 1789, Bouknian, a voodoo high priest and runaway slave who had followed the political situation of Haiti closely, held a meeting of leaders. Old Toussaint, as he was later referred to, attended the meeting. On August 9, eight days after that meeting, the tom-toms could be heard over he entire 2000 miles of French territory. This was the signal. The blacks moved as one body and put to the torch everything that belonged to white people, at the same time killing every white person they could find. The solidarity of the slaves was such that the planned revolt was not discovered until it actually broke out. The French forces put an end to the revolt, but not before the slaves had successfully burned 6000 coffee estates and over 200 sugar plantation. Boukman was killed. Toussaint took over; he was then 45 years old.

The defeat of the first rebellion was foreseen by Toussaint, but he was not disappointed. He gathered up six hundred hand picked men and formed them into a revolutionary army. These 600 men became his "elite guard". They were so well trained that once when they had run out of ammunition they fought with stones. Toussaint surprised the French army with his understanding of the art of war, and the well trained and disciplined manner of his troops.

About the time of the Boukman rebellion, France had declared war on Spain, so Toussaint followed the Arab proverb "he who is the enemy of my enemy is my friend", so he joined with the Spaniards to fight the French. The Spaniards armed the slaves who attacked the French forces from all angles. With the aid of the Spanish, Toussaint drove out the French. France sent in another 3,000 soldiers, but Toussaint and his troops defeated them. Toussaint’s second in command was Jacques Dessalines, a strong and robust African who was brought to Haiti when he was a boy. France realized that Toussaint could not be defeated, so they abolished slavery in Saint Domingue.

Toussaint and Dessalines were interested only in the complete freedom of their people. The Spaniards were abandoned and the French were routed by Toussaint’s forces in every town. Toussaint abandoned the Spaniards because he saw clearly that tIme Spaniards had no desire to end slavery and would enslave his people once more. It was at this time when Toussaint was joined by another valiant fighter, Henri Christophe, a slave who was born in Grenada in 1767 and was sold in Haiti when he was still a boy. Within a few months he rose to the rank of General.

A French officer heard that Toussaint had gained another victory where it seemed impossible. On hearing the news, the French officer remarked, "This Toussaint seems to be able to force an opening for himself anywhere!... " From that day Toussaint adopted the name L’Ouverture, which means the opening.

With great skill, Toussaint used a combination of guerilla warfare and orthodox fighting to beat his enemies. He had the full support of all the slaves in Haiti, whom he rallied to his side with the slogan "Liberty for all". He told the slaves: ". . . Brothers and friends I am Toussaint L’Ouverture. My name is perhaps known to you. I have undertaken vengeance. I want liberty and equality to reign in Saint Domingue."

The British saw a chance of gaining Saint Domingue, so they sent 60,000 soldiers to that colony. Toussaint used them to help him fight the Spanish. As soon as the Spaniards were defeated, he turned on the British, because he knew that if Britain had gained possession of Saint Domingue, slavery would be restored. The British were so severely beaten by Toussaint that the full story was hidden for over a century.

Toussaint was victorious because of the way in which he combined military superiority with propaganda,. and also the discipline of the army dedicated to freeing the poor blacks in that colony. His military skill was such that in seven days he won seven battles. In another battle he was surrounded by enemy troops. Although he was outnumbered, he managed to ambush his enemy and kill quite a number of them. The battle that followed lasted from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Toussaint lost 6 men.

When Toussaint took over as Governor-General of Saint Domingue, he set the borders with the Spanish which have been unchanged even to this day. He set up law courts, appeal courts and supreme courts. The Old regime's complicated system was done away with. He established a uniform value for the local unit of money. He was never lenient with any official who had committed an offence. An outstanding feature about this great man was the way in which he had full control of his body and mind.

He could go for days on only two bananas and a glass of water, and sleep for only two hours a night. He was wounded seventeen times in 10 years. Where speed was necessary, he persuaded his soldiers to cover 40 miles a day. They moved so fast they had to wait for the cavalry.

Toussaint loved his people. What he did for them was not for personal gain, but came naturally to him. At no time was he afraid of the Blacks. He bought 30,000 rifles and armed the laborers with them.

Meanwhile Napoleon was conquering all Europe. He wanted to regain France's former rich colony. He held a low opinion of Toussaint, and was so determined to regain Saint Domingue that he sent 23,000 soldiers and 54 ships to suppress the Black revolution.

On arrival the French attacked; Henri Christophe and his men put up a superb fight. The Captain-General of the French forces realized that it was useless in gaining a military victory over the blacks, as they were determined never to return to slavery. Dessalines and Christophe were made generals in the French army. Toussaint L’Ouverture was retired with honor. But the French General was dishonest. He plotted to kill Dessalines, who managed to escape. Toussaint was sent to France where he was imprisoned and tortured to death. When the Blacks heard of Toussaint's treatment they rose up against the French and drove them out, declaring Saint Domingue a republic with Dessalines as Governor. The new republic was given the Indian name of Haiti.

The struggle which Toussaint waged for freedom lasted 12 years —he defeated the local whites, the soldiers of France, a Spanish invasion, a British force of 60,000 men, and a similar size sent once again by the French. The revolt led by Toussaint L’Ouverture is the only successful slave revolt in history. Between the years 1789 to 1815 there was no other singular figure who appeared on the historical stage with such talent than the man who was a slave until he was 45 years old.

Toussaint died on April 6, 1803 — his body might have been destroyed, but his work lived on.