Nat Turner was born on October 2, 1800. He was an enslaved African-American who developed many skills as a preacher. He is also known for being involved in a four-day rebellion.
He was the leader of it and he actually helped slaves to become free black people in Virginia, North America.
Continue reading and discover all these amazing facts about Nat Turner.
Nat Turner Facts
1. Nat Turner’s childhood was difficult
Nat Turner was born in Southampton County, Virginia. He was a slave on the plantation of Benjamin Turner, which is why he has this last name.
Nat Turner’s mother was called Nancy, but nobody really knows about his father.
Turner’s former slave, Benjamin Turner, allowed him to learn to read, write and to assist the church, something that not many slave owners would do back then.
When Turner was a small child, people were often surprised to hear him talk, because, apparently, he was able to talk and describe things that happened way before he was even born.
Some people thought it was a curse, while many others labeled him as a prophet, and encouraged him to become more involved with his bible studies.
2. Turner became a spiritual leader
When Turner was a young man, many people would come to him searching for spiritual guidance. Once he realised this, he became a spiritual leader among his fellow slaves, an interesting fact about Nat Turner.
Many people thought Nat Turner was destined to do great things, and both his grandmother and mother would often talk about how Turner was chosen by God to accomplish things that seemed almost impossible to others.
3. Nat Turner was more than a slave
In the 1820s, Turner had some visions that made him believe that God was talking to him. He believed God was asking him to be prepared as many obstacles were coming his way.
He knew he was one of the chosen individuals that would accomplish many things. And he regarded himself as someone who was extraordinary.
Coincidence or not, it was February 1831, when Turner experienced and witnessed his first solar eclipse. He immediately pin pointed at this, believing this event was the signal he had been waiting for.
He began to prepare, alongside his friends, for insurrection.
In addition, for some mysterious reason, in August 1831, the sun also appeared to be blue-green; and this is considered as the defiant moment when Turner was finally under the end phase of his plans.
4. Nat Turner worked on several plantations during his lifetime
Turner was a very healthy and active individual, and these were important characteristics to have back then, especially since he had to do a lot of physical work.
Over the years, Turner worked on numerous plantations, where he was also able to learn everything he needed to know in order to survive his years as a slave, an interesting fact about Nat Turner.
Nat Turner was born in the household of Benjamin Turner and when he died, Turner was sent to Benjamin Turner’s brother, Samuel Turner.
This happened in 1820, and a year later, in 1821, Nat Turner ran away and hid in the woods for more than 30 days. However, there is an important twist in this story, because Nat Turner believed God had sent him another signal and he had to return to Samuel Turner’s plantation.
When Samuel Turner died, Turner then became a slave of Thomas Moore. When Thomas Moore died, Turner became a slave of Moore’s widow, and when she remarried John Travis, then Nat Turner began working on Travi’s lands as well.
5. Nat Turner’s rebellion had a huge impact on himself and others that surrounded him
Despite running away from the plantations he used to work on, all of Nat Turner’s owners would think the highest of him, because he truly was an individual who worked hard.
However, Turner wasn’t happy with his position. And alongside some of his supporters, they began a revolt against many of the white slave owners that had them in deplorable conditions.
Nat Turner and his supporters decided to kill Turner’s owners, the Travis family.
6. Nat Turner’s rebellion was groundbreaking at the time
An important fact about Nat Turner is that it has been said that his rebellion had been one of the largest – and the only- slave rebellion of that time.
Of course, rumours started to spread and the news of Nat Turner’s killings soon travelled across the United States of America.
There are even images of that time that show Nat Turner’s rebellion. In them, armed black men can be seen roaming the countryside, fighting against white men, women and children alike.
This had a lot of repercussions on how the slaves were now seen, and the white owners of slaves who still remained in the area decided to prevent any further slave insurrections by tightening slave codes.
White owners didn’t want African Americans to become free and to have a normal life, and they made sure this didn’t happen as well.
7. Nat Turner’s final days were incredibly important for his cause
Even though Turner was hidden for a long time, he was eventually captured on October 30, 1831.
He was also imprisoned and waiting for a trial. He was represented by Thomas R. Gray, a lawyer who helped Turner write his confession.
The interesting fact about Nat Turner is that he Turner pleaded not guilty, because he truly believed that his rebellion was requested by God.
Conclusion
Nat Turner was a man who made history in the United States of America. As a preacher, he also became a leader in one of the bloodiest revolts in America, during the slave period.
Turner had to hide for six weeks after the revolt, but he was soon caught and hanged, as the government wanted to send a clear message to other slaves who were trying to do something similar to Nat Turner.
This rebellion put an end to the emancipation movement in many areas of the United States. And even though Nat Turner became an icon to many people, especially during the 60s, he is still regarded as one of the most cruel individuals that has ever existed in the U.S.
I hope that this article on Nat Turner facts was helpful. If you are interested, visit the Historical People Facts!