Biography: Nat Turner

This is a story of a man which changed the way whites thought of slaves, for good or bad.  His story put fear in every slave owner.  Fear for his family.  Fear for his children.  Fear for himself.  And fear for the institution of slavery. 

Much of this is taken from The Good The Bad and the Mad by E. Randall Floyd.  Nat Turner got along well with the white community.  He even preached some to the Black community, and helped solve disputes.  However at the age of 28 he had a dream, from which he interpreted that he was suppose to lead a blood uprising against the white masters.  He also heard voices inside his head.  Turner was charismatic, and a good speaker.  These traits helped him raise a following. 

On the night of August 22, 1831, Turner lead a band of ax-wielding man on a bloody rampage.  Moving under the cover of darkness the first broke into the home of his master, and killed the entire family.  The next morning the band of about 30 men feel upon a widow and her ten children.  One child escaped, but the other nine were killed.  There was no torture, no looting; just killing. 

Before they were through sixty white men, women and children had been killed.  The local militia finally organized and drove them off, killing some out right, killing some innocent black bystanders, and chasing Turner and a few of his men into the swamp. 

Turner was captured about a month later.  He was tried and condemned to be hung.  In conversations with his lawyer he indicated he felt no remorse.  Even Christ was crucified.