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Javier Ferrer
David Hopkins
HIST 1301
November 25, 2015

Slave Rebellions

During the 1800s, there were several slaves rebellions that helped set the end of slavery in motion; a few
of the main and most well-known are Gabriels rebellion, Denmark Veseys rebellion, and Nat Turners rebellion,
that lasted right up until the civil war. These rebellions set the course for change in the way African Americans were
viewed and treated.
Richmond's history is linked to the history of slavery in the United States, one of whose pages starred
Gabriel Prosser. Gabriel was born into a family that belonged to Thomas Henry Prosser, Brookfield Plantation in
Henrico County, near Richmond. Apparently he was educated in his childhood, something not very common. After
the Independence of the United States, the conditions of the slaves had been laid in part, and those with a job could
work outside the plantation owner, always giving it part of what they got. Under these conditions, Gabriel could
work in the city, and it seems that contact with his co-workers led him to plan a revolt of slaves in Virginia.
According to their plans, they reunited a force of some 1000 blacks, whom would advance on Richmond. The plan
was scheduled for August 30, 1800. However, that day a big storm struck the area with torrential rains that prevented
the movement of the conspirators. At the same time, two of them betrayed their comrades. This alerted the governor
of Virginia, James Monroe. The governor mobilized the state militia and captured 30 slaves, who were executed.
Gabriel downstream escaped, but was later captured and hanged in Richmond on October 10, 1800, at the age of 24.
The rebellion was not of great importance because it was aborted before it began, but Gabriel Prosser is
remembered for the black community as a precursor of later revolts that lead to the abolition of slavery in this state
50 years later, after the American Civil War.

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Years later, in Charleston, a man named Denmark Vesey, a former slave who bought his freedom, planned
an extensive slave revolt that would take place in 1822. The plot was betrayed, and Vesey, along with 35 alleged coconspirators were hanged. Eventually, many antislavery activists viewed Vesey as a hero. During the American Civil
War, the abolitionist Frederick Douglass used Vesey name as a battle cry to gather African American regiments,
especially the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.
Nat Turner was a slave, in Virginia that provoked the bloodiest rebellion of African Americans in U.S
History. He was born on the Virginia plantation of Benjamin Turner. As a child, he was characterized by his natural
charisma and leadership. He was a fervent religious, which made him spend much time reading the Bible and
following long periods of voluntary fasting. He also was an autodidact who learned to read and write at an early age,
which gave him an advantage and authority over his fellow slaves on the plantation. During his youth, he used to say
he had visions, which he interpreted them as divine messages, and of course, this, added to the charisma radiating
from the slaves, made everyone who knew him began to call him 'The Prophet.' On February 12, 1831, there was a
solar eclipse in Virginia, which Turner in his mysticism, interpreted as a celestial warning that he should organize a
rebellion. Turner interpreted this as the final signal, and about a week later, on August 21, he began the revolt.
Turner organized the movement with four fellows, who were joining other rebels and soon had more than
50 men between slaves and free blacks. The order was to 'kill all whites', with no exceptions, not even if they were
men, women or children. The rebels went house to house, from plantation to plantation freeing slaves and killing
whites in their way. The rebel group was heavily armed with knives and daggers, hatchets and axes; they did not use
firearms to avoid attention. The rebels killed around 60 white people.
Slaveholders were quickly organized, and with the help of the militia, Turner's rebellion was defeated in
only 48 hours, but Turner escaped into the woods. On October 30, after two months of staying as a fugitive, he was
discovered and arrested by a farmer named Benjamin Phipps. On November 5, 1831, Nat Turner was convicted,
found guilty and sentenced to death. He was hanged on November 11, in Jerusalem, Virginia.
Since the incident of Nat Turner, Virginias legislators debated how to prevent future rebellions. There were
proposals to end slavery or to send black people back to Africa, but instead of doing that, tougher laws against free

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blacks and slaves were approved. No other similar revolts caused so much damage to the owners of slaves than
Turners. Turner was considered a hero for African Americans.