![]() ![]() ![]() Northern abolitionists, however, viewed the uprising differently and intensified their efforts to end slavery throughout the nation. Pro-slavery advocates began calling for greater restrictions on free blacks and slaves in the South and made more demands on Northern whites to cease their interference with the servile institution. In retaliation for the abortive rebellion, nearly two hundred innocent slaves were killed.Īlthough Nat Turner did not end slavery as he may have hoped, he nonetheless shook the institution to its core. He was executed six days after his trial on November 5, 1831. Turner escaped and eluded Virginia authorities for two months but was finally captured and tried for insurrection and murder. One was killed and the others were captured. (Courtesy of the University of Virginia) When the sun seemed to change from gold to green to blue. Turner and his followers were confronted by militiamen. at 9:30 pm 1 of 2 An illustration of the slave Nat Turner. Turner himself led authorities on a chase. They were soon pursued by over 3,000 members of the state militia. More than 100 innocent slaves who were not part of Turners group were killed in an attempt to stop the rebellion. Only 75 slaves and free blacks joined the rebellion. They first murdered the entire Travis family and eventually fifty whites in the futile effort to incite a general slave uprising. With this confidence, Turner and seven other slaves moved forward with their plans. ![]() While still planning the uprising, Turner saw that the color of the sun had changed to a bluish-green, which he believed was the final sign to initiate the uprising. Rebellion On August 21, 1831, Turner and his supporters began a revolt against white owners with the killing of his owners, the Travis family. After sharing this experience with a few close friends, they began to plan an insurrection. Less than a year after the sale, Turner received what he assumed was a sign from God when he witnessed the eclipse of the sun. Turner was sold to slaveholder Joseph Travis in 1830. He soon became known among fellow slaves as “The Prophet.” Turner also began to believe that God had chosen him to free his people from slavery. Taught to read by the son of his owner, Turner studied Christianity which he interpreted as condemning slavery. Nathaniel “Nat” Turner was born in Southampton County, Virginia on October 2, 1800, the son of slaves owned by Benjamin Turner, a prosperous farmer. ![]()
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