Nat Turner Researched Essay (with Citations)

Nat Turner English 10 5 March 2012 There comes a time when everyone has to choose what they want to do with their lives, and few have done what Nat Turner has. He led a rebellion against his slave owner and opened the door for other slaves to begin their own fight for freedom. He was born a slave October 2nd, 1800 to Southampton County Virginian Benjamin Turner (“Nat Turner”). Turner was born into slavery by the slave of a refugee from the Saint Domigue revolt and raised on the plantation of Benjamin Turner.

Benjamin Turner was one of the few slave owners that allowed Turner an education in reading, writing and religion - although he taught himself to read after being given a book (“Nat Turner Biography”). Nat Turner was a very advanced child, people around him at the time of his childhood said he knew the details of many events that occurred before his birth. He also had visions from a young age, and those he believed always led him to his great purpose. These visions led him to many different plantations and slave-masters in the attempt to find that calling (“Nat Turner Biography”).

After his early education Turner was sent to various plantations like that of Benjamin Turners son, Samuel. He worked at each for several years, during one period he was the slave of a nine year-old boy whose father had just died until his mother remarried. He viewed his visions as a gift from God and learned to become a preacher in adulthood, while still working as a slave (“Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property”). At his fourth and final plantation Turner would start receiving visions of creating an uprising to free him and his fellow slaves.

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He gathered followers and planned out the entire rebellion, believing it to be for the greater good of all black slaves. But a just day before he could instigate the rebellion Turner got sick and the rebellion was held off until he was well enough to lead and fight (“Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property”). It would take a short period of time for Turner to get better before he had another 'god vision' telling him when the time would be right for an uprising.

That time came in the form of a solar eclipse which Turner interpreted to mean it was time. He led forty men through several Virginia towns, killing at least 50 people. But Nat's plan had been found out by whites who arrived to capture his small troupe. Turner successfully hid from the men until October 30, when he was captured and sent to the county jail. His “confession” was given to Thomas R. Gray before being sentenced to death by hanging (“Nat Tuner: A Troublesome Property”).

Nat Turner is remembered in the South as being one of the first and most important rebels in history for this act of rebellion. Nat had one of the largest amounts of killings by slaves in his time, and he also is memorable for his openness about it. He was quoted in his confession as saying: "I see sir, you doubt my word; but can you not think the same ideas, and strange appearances about this time in the heavens might prompt others, as well as myself, to this undertaking. "(“Insurrection of Nat Turner, The”). Confessions of Nat Turner (1831). ” Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. 24 Nov 2008. 7 Feb 2012. "Confessions of Nat Turner, The. ” Wake Forest University. Web. 8 Feb. 2012. “Nat Turner. ” International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. 2008. Encylopedia. com. 7 Feb. 2012. “Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property. ” PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. PBS. 2012. Web. 7 Feb. 2012. “Nat Turner Biography. ” Biography. com. A&E Television Network, LLC. 1996-2012. Web. 7 Feb. 2012.

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