Nat Turner Biography

Nathanial Turner was born October 2, 1800 on the Virginia plantation of Benjamin Turner. His mother was named Nancy and his father was unknown. He was known as Nat Turner. On the plantation he was allowed to read, writing and religion. He was known as a gifted child. Later he becomes preacher to the slaves on the plantation. He also married but didn’t have any children. Nat Turner was separated from his wife when she was sold and he then began to fast and pray. He saw himself as an instrument of God and considered a prophet by his fellow slaves. He maintained that he had visions from God and from these visions he planned to lead a rebellion against his slave masters, but knew he had to wait on a sign from God was to when to move. After

He believed that he was chosen by God and looked at as a prophet. According to Biography.com Editors, “Believing in signs and hearing divine voices, Turner had a vision in 1825 of a bloody conflict between black and white spirits.” History tells us that on August 21, 1831 led a revolt against white slave owners and he killed the family who owned him. Biography.com Editors also writes “Turner gathered more supporters—growing to a group of up to 40 or 50 slaves—as he and his men continued their violent spree through the county.” According to Biography.com Editors, “Most sources say that about 55 white men, women and children died during Turner's rebellion.” He was planning to reach the country side of Jerusalem, VA but his plans were spoiled. He ends up facing a group of white men. He was later capture and kill for his

Southerners believed that Nat Turner’s intelligence and education was a major cause of the rebellion, so the legislatures in Virginia and other southern states passed measures that made it unlawful to teach slaves and free blacks how to read or write. Southern lawmakers also passed a “gag rule” prohibiting the reading of anti-slavery petitions in Congress. According to Wood and Walbert, “Following the rebellion, whites throughout the South were determined to prevent any further slave insurrections, and they tightened the already harsh slave codes to keep African Americans, slave and free, in a subservient position.” Wood and Walbert write “In the aftermath of the rebellion, the state legislature of Virginia considered abolishing slavery, but instead voted to tighten the laws restricting blacks’ freedom in hopes of preventing any further insurrection.” It starts to get really bad so North Carolina passed legislation to limit the rights of slaves and free blacks. According to Wood and Walbert, “The legislature made it illegal for slaves to preach, to be “insolent” to white people, to carry a gun, to hunt in the woods, to cohabitate with a free black or white person, to own any type of