It is more likely, however, that the county was named for the borough of Southampton Nat Turner was an African-American slave preacher in Virginia who led the bloodiest slave rebellion in American history. [45], In Southampton County, Blacks suspected of participating in the rebellion were beheaded by the militia, and "their severed heads were mounted on poles at crossroads as a grisly form of intimidation". For the funk-soul group, see, Description of Turner included in a $500 reward notice in the Washington. for their freedom, 1814; a slave bill of sale, 1822; the dower of Mary W. Kellos, 1848, listing the names and birth dates Many focused on removing from the state free Blacks, who were widely seen as a nefarious influence. Turners revolt also prompted Virginias General Assembly to debate the fate of slavery in its 18311832 session. O n 23 August 1831, Governor John Floyd received a hastily written note from the Southampton County postmaster stating "that an insurrection of the slaves in that county had taken place, that several families had been massacred and that it would take a considerable military force to put them down." Fifty-seven whites died, many of them women and children, before a massive force of . Confederate troops tried to stave off Union forces intent on advancing to take Richmond. These items came to the Library of Virginia in shipments of court papers from Southampton County, accession number 31913. Free Negro Registrations (five), 1808-1824, record the name, registration number, registration date, a brief physical description, [57] Of the thirty convicted, eighteen were hanged, while twelve were sold out of state. Note that few records survive for this era from Dinwiddie, and Prince George Counties. African Americans from Southampton County served in both Confederate and Union units during the Civil War. Many were concerned about the states free Blacks and their negative influence on the contentment of the enslaved and on general law and order. In the 185 years that followed the rebellion, Turner's place in. 13.4 Addressing Slavery - U.S. History | OpenStax Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0 . of Samuel Calvert, 1804-1805; the District of Ephraim Lee, 1807; a list dated 1821 Sep 6, and a list dated 1831 Dec. Also White southerners prohibited enslaved African Americans from learning to read, restricted their movement, prevented them from meeting in groups, and publicly punished those who attempted to escape slavery. A petition from Washington County, dated December 17, conceded that free Blacks may not be more prone to engage in insurrectionary movements than slaves:but they are generally a great nuisance to our society. A brief petition from Fauquier County asked that the assembly appropriate money to transport free persons of Color to the coast of Africa, and also, the power to purchase slaves and transport them likewise., Petitioners from Culpeper County, meanwhile, claimed that enslaved people were monopolizing the trades and recommended that no enslaved or free Black man be placed as an apprentice in any manner whatsoever to learn a trade or art under severe and onerous penalty., Female petitioners from Fluvanna County spoke for many when they declared that a blight now hangs over our national prospects, and a cloud dims the sunshine of domestic peace throughout our State. Virginia Historical Society, 428 N Arthur Ashe Boulevard The next day he proposed to the House that the select committee should be discharged from the consideration of all petitions, memorials and resolutions, which have for their object, the manumission of persons held in servitude under the existing laws of this commonwealth, and that it is not expedient to legislate on the subject. He warned that the tranquility of the community was in jeopardy and went on to criticize the Public Press at Richmond for encouraging abolition. [1] In 1818, Dred was taken by Peter Blow and his family, with their five other slaves, to Alabama, where the family ran an unsuccessful farm in a location near Huntsville. On Sundays, enslaved individuals tended to their own gardens and livestock provided by their enslavers, practiced religion, and engaged with family and friends. "[14] He grew up deeply religious and was often seen fasting, praying, or immersed in reading the stories of the Bible. [75] On September 10, 1831, The Liberator published excerpts from a letter to the editor saying that many people in the South believed the newspaper had a link to the revolt and that if Garrison were to go to the South, he "would not be permitted to live longhe would be taken away, and no one is the wiser for itif Mr. Garrison were to go to the South, he would be dispatched immediately[an] opinion expressed by persons at the South, repeatedly."[76]. [36] Turner took this, like the eclipse months earlier, as a divine signal, and he began his rebellion a week later, on August 21. [74] South Carolina built a series of arsenals to ensure weapons would be available in the event of another slave rebellion. The House of Delegates established a thirteen-man select committee to consider the governors suggestions and to respond to citizen petitions referred from the full House. Free persons of color also presented what enslavers feared was a dangerous example. On January 10, he asked after the committees progress, and Chairman Brodnax replied that it was considering two modes of action: one, the removal of free Blacks, and two, the gradual extinction of slavery. This second point prompted Goode to press the matter. 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[68], Another skull said to have been Turner's was contributed to the College of Wooster in Ohio upon its incorporation in 1866. The summonses include information about the date and circumstances of emancipation. Virginians submit about forty petitions to the General Assembly calling for its members to address the problems surrounding slavery and the presence of free blacks in Virginia. "All his initial recruits were other slaves from his neighborhood". [47] A local road (now Virginia State Route 658) was called as "Blackhead Signpost Road" in reference to these events. Nat Turner is captured near where the revolt he led began. Horrid Massacre in Virginia ENTRY Nat Turner's Revolt (1831) SUMMARY On the evening of August 21-22, 1831, an enslaved preacher and self-styled prophet named Nat Turner launched the most deadly slave revolt in the history of the United States. [73] Across Virginia and other Southern states, legislators made it against the law for either Whites or Blacks to possess abolitionist publications. Slaves were not permitted to carry firearms in any of the slave states. Moore also suggested that a large enslaved population might interfere with Virginias ability to fend off foreign aggression and that it might interfere with the growth of the white population. US President John Tyler's son, John Tyler, Jr., married Mattie Rochelle and they raised their family in this home. The central figures were cunning tricksters, often represented as tortoises, spiders, or rabbits, who defeated more powerful enemies through wit and guile, not power and authority. QuickFacts Southampton County, Virginia; Rappahannock County, Virginia. the Blackwater River) was the dividing line between Union and Confederate forces in Tidewater, Virginia. Gray's pamphlet sold 40,000 to 50,000 copies, making it a noted source about the rebellion at the time. QuickFacts Southampton County, Virginia; Fredericksburg city (County), Virginia. Nat Turner's Rebellion, one of the largest slave uprisings in American history, took place in 1831, in Southampton County, Virginia. Militia and mobs killed as many as 120 enslaved people and freed African Americans in retaliation. He was joined by about sixty African American men and boys who were defeated by white militia members and a contingent of state and federal troops. Songs may have tipped the neighborhood members to movements. Slavery in the United States - Wikipedia His work was derived partly from research Gray did while Turner was in hiding and partly from jailhouse conversations with Turner before trial. names of patrollers, dates and/or hours served on the slave patrol, and the amount of money to be paid. Free negro and slave records--Virginia--Southampton County. They depended less on enslaved labor and believed that eastern enslavers enjoyed unfair privileges, among them counting their enslaved population toward representation in Congress. Some enslaved Virginians instigated organized, armed rebellion or attempted escape, even though success was unlikely and punishments included execution and disfigurement. sometimes contain amount of tax levied, and remarks about why the tax was not paid. Several called for the gradual emancipation of enslaved people, some for colonization. Turner was captured on October 30 and hanged on November 11. . Certificates of Importation and Non-Importation of Slaves, 1790-1816; Free Negro Lists, 1791-1860; Free Negro Registrations, It is modeled after displays like Blackhead Signpost Road in Southampton County, Virginia.It was here, in 1831, where the head of a slave, Alfred, was displayed on a stake for being part . Copy and paste this code into your website. Negro Head Road - Wikipedia The preambles vague wording was crafted to mollify both sides, although it seemed to please the pro-emancipation delegates more. [51], Reverend G. W. Powell wrote a letter to the New York Evening Post stating that "many negroes are killed every day. They threw some bodies into bonfires and left others for the wolves. He preached to other enslaved people in Southampton County, gaining a reputation among them as a prophet. (VMHC 1991.70). Most engaged in day-to-day resistancebreaking equipment, stealing foodstuffs, slowing the work-pace. [5][6] After trials, the Commonwealth of Virginia executed 56 enslaved people accused of participating in the rebellion, including Turner himself; many Black people who had not participated were also persecuted in the frenzy. 4451. [29], Turner spent his entire life in Southampton County. He considered his rebellion an act of God and led perhaps the most famous slave uprising in the South in 1831 in Southampton County, Virginia: Nat Turner. He was killed on the first day of fighting. Richmond,Virginia23220, Galleries, Store, & Caf daily 10:00 am-5:00 pm He thanked all those involved in putting down Turners insurrection and warned lawmakers that negro preachers have been chief among those stirring up the spirit of revolt. After railing against inflammatory pamphlets distributed by abolitionists and meddling northerners, the governor recommended that Virginias slave laws be revised in order to preserve in due subordination the slave population of our state. Finally, he echoed others concerns about the dangers posed by free Blacks and declared it to be indispensably necessary for them to withdraw from this community., Floyd, a native of western Virginia, made no mention of emancipation, but privately he was working toward that end. A smaller group of men and women cooked, cleaned, served meals, and raised the children of the enslavers family. [86], "Nat Turner Rebellion" redirects here. Africans in America/Part 3/Nat Turner's Rebellion. Led by Nat Turner, rebels moved from plantation to plantation, murdering roughly 55 whites and rallying enslaved people to their cause. A historical society in Virginia, where slavery began in the American colonies in 1619, has discovered the identities of 3,200 slaves from unpublished private documents, providing new. [20] Historians believe one of their children was a boy named Riddick. [26] Patrick Breen states that after Nat Turner viewed the eclipse in 1831, he was certain that God wanted the revolt to commence.[28]. [55], While awaiting trial, Turner confessed his knowledge of the rebellion to attorney Thomas Ruffin Gray.
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