Monday, August 21, 2006
This Day in American History
On this day in 1831, Nathaniel 'Nat' Turner began the largest slave rebellion in America, in Southhampton county Virginia (this may be the only thing of note that ever happened in that county in southeast Virginia). Turner's group of about 50 slaves and black freedmen went from house to house, freeing the slaves and hacking or beating to death every white in the household including children (they didn't want to alert the populace by using firearms). The insurrection was put down within 48 hours, and more than 50 whites had been slaughtered, but Turner avoided capture in the dismal swamps thereabouts until October. He was tried and executed the following month.
The long term effect of the rebellion was disastrous for the slave population in America, indeed for all America. Virginia soon thereafter voted on a proposal to abolish slavery in the state and the slaves were not freed by a close vote no doubt influenced by the savagery of Turner's murderous slave rebellion. Imagine how short the Civil War would have been had Virginia not seceded from the Union because it was a free state. Bad move, Nat.
The long term effect of the rebellion was disastrous for the slave population in America, indeed for all America. Virginia soon thereafter voted on a proposal to abolish slavery in the state and the slaves were not freed by a close vote no doubt influenced by the savagery of Turner's murderous slave rebellion. Imagine how short the Civil War would have been had Virginia not seceded from the Union because it was a free state. Bad move, Nat.
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 7:46 AM 
