I would consider both Nat Turner and John Brown to be madmen. Though they both intended well with their actions, they executed their plans very poorly. Their violence led to many vices, like deaths and restrictions on slaves. Nat Turner, was a self-proclaimed prophet, who alleged that he could speak with God. Turner was a slave who escaped to freedom, only to return, causing chaos. With his return, Turner hoped that he could end the suffering of those who were under the chains of slavery (Nat Turner & The Rebellion That Shook The South). This meant that Turner hoped to positively impact the slave community with his actions. At the age of twenty seven, Turner claimed that he received a vision from God, revealing that it was time for those who …show more content…
What followed was the gruesome murder of Turner’s slave owner, Joseph Travis, his wife, and son, in their sleep. But Turner did not stop there, he, along with his followers, also killed a hired worker and Joseph Travis’ infant. This proves that Turner acted immorally and ruthlessly, just like a madman. Turner defends his actions by stating that he was not acting in anger, instead it was “holy retribution” (Nat Turner & The Rebellion That Shook The South). But, the killing of more than sixty white men, says otherwise. Although Turner’s actions were said to be in good faith, his actions did cause many white males to feel outraged and vengeful, which later led to the murder of over two-hundred innocent African Americans. Consequently, these actions led to harsher conditions for African Americans. In Virginia, for example, teaching an African American how to read was now prohibited. Similar to Turner, abolitionist John Brown also took the lives of many in the name of ending slavery and became infamous for his methods. Brown was very religious, just like Turner, and shared a common hatred for slavery. Furthermore, Brown assisted more than two-thousand-five-hundred slaves at his
In order to be a hero, one must be courageous. Some people that are heroes are Susan B. Anthony and Harriet Tubman.
It could be argued that the revolt was entirely reactionary and in response to the myriad of abuses propagated by the white, slave-holding society (Garrison). Slaves were treated as little more than chattel – subject to the caprice and whims of their owners. In one infamous case, a slave woman was executed for killing her master when he attempted to rape her. As a slave, the court literally did not recognize her as a woman but only as an item to be used and abused (Foner 410). Such callous treatment is difficult to fathom, and perhaps helps to put the slave’s rebellion into context; however, Turner’s actions were highly reprehensible in that his slaughter was not confined to those who had perpetrated these abuses, but was instead an indiscriminate massacre of the innocent and the guilty
Nat Turner was a slave himself and every couple of months, he would get visions from the Spirit telling him things to do or look out for. Throughout his years, he was moved to different owners. In February 1831, there was an eclipse of the sun and Turner saw this as a sign that he needed to take action. Him and his four most trusted men got together and planned to hold the insurrection on July 4th. They were unable to do so on that day due to Turner’s illness. On August 13, there was another sign in which the sun appeared bluish-green. Turner set out to Joseph Travis, his owners house and killed the whole family. After that, they continued to kill all white people they came in contact with. As the rebellion continued, Turner’s men were being captured and killed. Turner escaped but was then captured and sentenced to execution. Nat Turner still remains a controversial black figure because of the rebellion, but his legacy of inspiring other slaves to find freedom by any means will still remain. Turner’s rebellion had a huge impact on the south because he was standing up for all of those who were in slavery.
John Brown should be remembered as a villain and a hero because he took armed possession of the federal arsenal and launch a massive slave insurrection to free the nation’s 4 million slaves.
Unfortunantly for the new leaders of the nation, they were left with many issues that challenged American ideals, including slavery. 1831 was a very pivotal year for the beginning of the abolishment of slavery. Soon after the eclipse, fear spread throughout Virginia of a possible slave rebellion. Eventhough some slave owners treated their slaves well, it did not mean they were safe from attack. On August 22, Nat Turner killed his master along with his family, the first account of slave rebellion in history. Turner’s Rebellion instilled fear in southern slave owners that a planned attack could occur at any moment (19). Thomas R. Gray, a slave owner and lawyer interviewed the slaves behind bars. He spoke with Turner for three day...
John Brown was a man who lived in the mid eighteen-hundreds and who fought against the evil of slavery. He had a very strong belief that slavery was unjust, and this is true, but he thought that in order to abolish slavery, violence would be the best method. That’s where he went wrong. John Brown led two attacks on slave owners and those who supported slavery, the first at Pottawatomie Creek, Kansas on May 24th, 1856, and the second at Harper Ferry, Virginia on October 16th, 1859. At Pottawatomie Creek, joined by seven others, Brown brutally hacked to death five men with sabers. These men supported slavery but weren’t even slave owners themselves. On October 16th, 1859, Brown led 21 men on another raid on Harpers Ferry attempting to take possession of the U.S. arsenal and use the weapons in a revolt against slave owners, gathering up an army of slaves as he made his way south. Brown’s attacks were not in self-defense, they were heinous acts of revenge upon slave owners, and therefore his attack had no justification.
Throughout the history of the United States, there have been individuals who have sought out to better society and develop solutions for social and economic problems. In all communities, there are clear distinctions between the privileged and poor. Many times these less fortunate individuals fail to rise up in the world because of the few opportunities they are given. Despite this, some individuals become empowered and impassioned by the hardships seen and have a yearning to create the change needed for the betterment of society. Two leading historical examples of such individuals include Booker T. Washington and Jane Addams. Booker T. Washington had established the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, a school for colored people where a heavy emphasis
The similarity between Susan B. Anthony speech and Martin Luther King Juniors “I Have a Dream” speech is that they are fighting for the equality of America. Susan B. Anthony is fighting for women being able to vote like everyone else. Martin Luther King is fighting for the equality of African Americans. Both just want to see America as an equal place instead of discrimination against others based on race or gender. Even though their message has similarities the way they delivered them was different.
John Brown became a legend of his time. He was a God fearing, yet violent man and slaveholders saw him as evil, fanatic, a murderer, lunatic, liar, and horse thief. To abolitionists, he was noble and courageous. John Brown was born in 1800 and grew up in the wilderness of Ohio. At seventeen, he left home and soon mastered the arts of farming, tanning, and home building.
African American abolitionists such as Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass used personal experiences and stories to challenge current beliefs about slavery. Sojourner Truth believed that there are only half of the black women that make up the slavery population and without changing the condition of all women’s maltreatment, there wouldn’t be any freedom obtained for them. Frederick Douglass' beliefs were slavery was a violation of human rights and an outrage to human dignity. Both beliefs changed the perspective of slavery because they fostered empathy for the slaves by exposing the injustice and suffering of slavery through speeches, articles, and personal accounts. Black abolitionists stated how slavery was naturally painful and unfair.
In the early national period of the United States, Nat Turner’s rebellion stood as a turning point that rocked the South. As an enslaved African American preacher, Nat Turner’s uprising in Southampton County, Virginia, struck fear into the hearts of slave owners and sparked heated discussions within abolitionist circles. Nat Turner’s insurrection had a profound impact on how people saw black resistance, freedom, and the institution of slavery, ultimately hardening pro-slavery sentiments in the South. Nat Turner’s revolt intensified fear among slaveholders, challenging their assumptions of control and obedience.
The crusade for equality to whites for blacks has been going on for years. There are some that believe that blacks are more superior. Whiles other believe that whites are superior. For example Jem tells Scout about mixed children, saying, “They don’t belong anywhere. Colored folks won’t ‘em because they’re half white; white folks won’t have ‘em ‘cause they’re colored, so they’re just inbetweens, don’t belong anywhere” (Lee, 215). Then you have those that believe in equality Similar to the beliefs of W.E.B DuBois and Booker T. Washington. The two fought for black equality during the span of their life. In which an example of the twos beliefs can been seen in the Tom Robinson case in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird. Just like when Atticus says,
The rebellion began on August 21st 1831 after Nat Turner had two experiences that gave him motivation. It was on February 12, 1831 when Nat Turner first experienced a sign from god. It was solar eclipse that was occurring but he saw it as a “black man’s hand…reaching across the sun.” The second solar eclipse took place in February of 1831 that convinced him to lead a revolt against slavery. The objectives of the rebellion were to convince the African Americans that they have the same rights as though who are white and to bring pain and suffering to those who forced them to the terrible conditions they had to experience. On August 21st, Nat Turner and his group of rebels killed 55 white men, woman, and children. They showed these individuals what it was like to hurt, suffer, and endure pain. The rebellion was successful because groups all over the world, followed Nat Turner and believed that they are equal those of white skin color. It helped lead to other African Americans rebel against the whites. These events helped lead to the civil rights movement.
Hughes and King have similar views because they see America promised equality but th3ey don't have it. Hughes’ poem says “Let America be America again Let it be the dream it used to be… America was never America to me” and “Who said the free? Not me?... The millions who who have nothing for our pay--except the dream that’s almost dead today”. These quotes talk about how we should make america into what it was made and said to be: free. Its saying at the moment the might say they're free but the reality of it is that they are not. In addition to that in King’s speech he says “All men are created equal… That is the dream” and “On one hand we have proudly professed the principles of democracy, on th other we have sadly practiced the very antithesis
Throughout the century of social injustices, we find Henry David Thoreau and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. disturbed about the absence of equality that the government, and most of society, has come to find as traditional. Although these men focus on their similar complications with the government and society, it is visible that they both vary on how to approach and address their conflicts.