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NANCY TURNER RAPED
Nancy Turner was a recently arrived slave girl of 16 or 17 years, named Nancy by her owner, likely from West Africa. She was raped by her owner, Benjamin Turner. -
BIRTH
October 2, 1800- I, Nat Turner, was born to young Nancy on October 2 on a Southampton County plantation. She tried to kill me as a baby but failed and I was soon given to a slave couple, Harriet and Tom, to raise. -
YOUNG RELIGIOUS FIGURE
When I was only three, my adoptive mother, Harriet deemed me a religious figure, aware of events that occurred before my birth. -
HARRIED MEETS WITH WHITE LEADERS
In 1808, Harried, my "adopted" mom, met with the leader's of her owner, Benjamin Turner's, home church. They agreed that I was not suitable for slavery because I was growing up to be a "bright boy". Harriet, and later Nat, believed he would be freed at 21. -
PREACHER
I grew up to be a preacher and I believe that I have been chosen and spoken to by God to lead slaves to freedom and punish the whites for their sins. -
RUN AWAY SLAVE
September 8, 1821- I worked on many different plantations as a slave for many different owners. In 1821 I ran away from my former owners son, Samuel Turner. -
CAUGHT
October 8, 1821- I was found hiding in the woods and sent back to the Turner plantation to work. Still preaching, God came to me in prayer and told me that slavery is not an acceptable act and that i would be sent signs on how to assist God on furthering his plans for the sins of the whites. -
FREEDOM?
At 21, I asked my current owner for my freedom and was whipped. I then escaped, but returned after 30 days voluntarily, citing religious reasons. -
SEEING SIGNS
August 9, 1822- Samuel Turner, my slave owner, dies and i see his death as sign from God. I think God is telling me through the death that more white people must die to pay for the sins that they have done to their slaves. I decided to hold off and not take charge and asks God for a more powerful sign. -
NAT GETS MARRIED
Samuel married me to a slave, Cherry. I don't think my own marriage was valid though due to the fact that Samuel was not a minister. -
REOWNED SLAVE
October 1822- I was then sold to Thomas Moore who soon died. After his death, Thomas Moore's widow remarried to a man named John Travis. I was then owned by Travis and worked on Travis’s lands. -
BIRTH OF CHILDREN
Cherry, my wife, did have children, but they were likely Samuel Turner's and not mine. -
1ST VISION
1825- I have a “vision” of a bloody conflict between blacks and whites. I begin to think about what God could have possibly meant by the vision given to me and continued to ask God for more signs on what I could further do for Gods will. -
2ND VISION
1831- I had another “vision” that I thinks is a sign from God telling me to “fight the serpents”. I took this into consideration and gathers the group of African Americans I preach to to devise a plan and take action and free slaves for Gods name. -
3RD AND FINAL VISION
February 1831- I saw my final vision in the form of a solar eclipse. All of my visions somehow related back to God and Gods teachings. I mean i was considered a man of God and only wanted to do what God told me to do through signs and visions. -
THE REVOLT
August 21, 1831- Me and my supporters began our revolt against white slave owners starting with the killing the Travis family. I gathered more supporters—growing to a group of up to 40 or 50 slaves—as my men and I continued our violent spree through the county. We were able to secure arms and horses from the every people we killed. Most sources say that about 55 white men, women and children died during Turner's rebellion. -
EFFECTS ON SLAVE POPULATION
October 30, 1831- While I hid away, white mobs took their revenge on the blacks of Southampton County. Estimates range from approximately 100 to 200 African Americans were slaughtered after the rebellion. -
CAPTURE
After 70 days on the run, I allowed myself to be captured. I was then tried and convicted. While awaiting sentencing, I wrote the Confessions of Nat Turner. -
DEATH OF NAT TURNER
Nat Turner was executed November 11, 1831. His Confessions were published the following month. -
AFTER DEATH
After Nat Turners revolt, the whites tightened their grip on their African American slaves. Shock ran through the white south as well as fear. Slaves were then given less freedom than ever out of fear of another revolt.
