Nat Turner's Rebellion

Nat Turner's Rebellion

Contributor: Elizabeth Rivera

What was Nat Turner's Rebellion?

Nat Turner's Rebellion, also known as the Southampton Insurrection, was a slave rebellion that occurred in Southampton County, Virginia in August of 1831. It is the most famous slave rebellion in U.S. history. Turner believed he had been chosen by God to lead his people out of slavery.

Turner and his followers murdered about sixty white men, women, and children on the night of August 21 at Joseph Travis' plantation. Seventeen men, including Turner, were captured and executed.

Impact on the Civil War:

After a reign of terror against all blacks in Virginia, Virginians debated over abolishing slavery. Instead, they enacted new slave codes to prevent future uprisings. Educating slaves was also illegal. The long term impact in the South of Nat Turner's Rebellion was adverse to civil rights before the Civil War.

Bibliography: 

• http://www.history.com/interactives/civil-war-150#/wiki?topic=417
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nat_Turner%27s_slave_rebellion
• http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6811/
• http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h3747.html