AMERICAN HISTORY
Nat Turner Revisited
August 21, 1831, is the anniversary of his legendary African-American rebellion against slavery.
Revolution and Rebellion
Sterling A. Brown, the African American poet from Washington D.C., wrote in his poem, “Remembering Nat Turner,” that when Turner launched his attack in Southhampton, Virginia, to end slavery on August 21–22 1831, “the land was quiet, the mist was rising.” But in the remainder of his famous poem, Brown tells the story of Turner’s act of revolutionary audacity to bring death to those who benefited from the misery and oppression of human beings of African descent.
Turner and approximately 60 Africans he recruited before and during the rebellion would kill 57 whites over several days. Their violent uprising put fear in the heart of the Virginia community for two days. When Turner’s raid was put down, he was headed north to the city of Jerusalem, Va., to continue his rebellion.
Turner famously confessed to his actions after he was captured. A biased political pamphlet, referred to as “The Confessions of Nat Turner,” was published. William Styron, the novelist, also wrote a novel about Turner’s confessions called The Confessions of Nat Turner. Yet, African Americans and many others…
