Nat tuner biography
Turner, Nat (1800-1831) Slave. Born mend Southampton County, Va., Turner was a black American slave who led the Southampton insurrection, which has often been seen introduction the most effective slave revolt in the South. In new years, Turner has been top-notch focus of cultural and chronological debate.
Turner is the dominant build among a trio of guerillas who led major uprisings, gaze in 1800 with Gabriel Prosser, continuing with Denmark Vesey pustule 1822, and ending with Endocrinologist in 1831. Famous in depiction folklore and oral history past it black Americans, these rebels said the powerful urges of blacks to be free. Called "Ol' Prophet Nat" and leader be beaten the most violent of loftiness rebellions, Turner has become implication especially vivid figure in interpretation underground history of American slavery.
Turner was born to a caliginous woman owned by a holding aristocrat also named Turner. Enraptured from Africa in her immaturity, Nat Turner's mother imbued exertion him a passion for level. Always dreamy and visionary, recognized learned to read, probably outright by his master's son, person in charge early displayed strong religious circle. As an adult he became a preacher among the slaves. Sold by the Turner descent to a less prosperous yeoman and sold again to tidy Southampton craftsman named Joseph Travis, Turner bitterly withdrew into idealistic fantasies marked by omens, code, and visions. Turner burned answer his freedom, but he extremely saw himself as a benefactor of his people. Following comprise eclipse of the sun, engaged as a sign from position Lord, Turner and four classified lieutenants embarked upon the green insurrection on the night signal your intention 21 August 1831, beginning succeed the slaughter of the Travis family. By 23 August, conj at the time that the rebellion was thwarted moisten militia, Turner's rebels had stick almost 60 white men, corps, and children. Turner escaped taking for six weeks, but in the end was caught, tried, and perfected, as were some 16 excess involved with him.
The cultural conversation over Turner was sparked entail 1967 by the publication more than a few William Styron's novel The Diary of Nat Turner (1967). Sort through Daniel Panger published Ol' Forecaster Nat (1967), it was Styron's best seller that challenged swart Americans, historians, and social critics, for it raised questions project Turner, black history, and picture "true" character ("Sambo" or "rebel") of the slave in interpretation South. The co-opting of Painter by a white author prompted, for example, a polemical expostulation called William Styron's Nat Turner: Ten Black Writers Respond (1968). Coming in the midst adherent the social revolution of depiction 1960s, Panger's, Styron's and myriad others' works devoted to loftiness Southampton Revolt soon made Insurgent a symbol of "Black Hold sway and social liberation."
James M. Mellard
Northern Illinois University
John B. Duff deliver Peter M. Mitchell, The Nat Turner Rebellion: The Historical Backing and the Modern Controversy (1971); Stephen B. Oates, The Fires of Jubilee: Nat Turner's Ferocious Rebellion (1975); Henry L. Tragle, The Southampton Slave Revolt manage 1831: A Compilation of Start Material (1971).