The August revolts of Gabriel Prosser (1800) & Nat Turner (1831)

[Moorbey]

The August revolts of
>
> Gabriel Prosser (1800) & Nat Turner (1831)
>
>by Runoko Rashidi
>
> *On august 30, 1800, Gabriel Prosser's efforts to be free (with about a
> thousand enslaved Africans) were defeated by a storm and two obsequious
> slaves who betrayed their cause… and the last of the "famous revolts" by
> enslaved Africans was lead by Nat Turner in August of 1831*
>
>
>
> ------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- - Gabriel Prosser (ca.
> 1775-1800) was the African slave leader of an unsuccessful revolt in
> Richmond , Va. , during the summer of 1800.
> Gabriel Prosser, the slave of Thomas H. Prosser, was about 25 years old
> when he came to the attention of Virginia authorities late in August 1800.
> Little is known of his childhood or family background. He had two brothers
> and a wife, Nanny, all slaves of Prosser. Gabriel Prosser learned to read
> and was a serious student of the Bible, where he found inspiration in the
> accounts of Israel 's delivery from slavery. Prosser possessed shrewd
> judgment, and his master gave him much latitude. He was acknowledged as a
> leader by many slaves around Richmond .
>
> With the help of other slaves, especially Jack Bowler and George Smith,
> Prosser designed a scheme for a slave revolt. They planned to seize control
> of Richmond by slaying all whites (except for Methodists, Quakers, and
> Frenchmen) and then to establish a kingdom of Virginia with Prosser as king.
> The recent, successful American Revolution and the revolutions in France and
> Haiti --with their rhetoric of freedom, equality, and brotherhood- -supplied
> examples and inspiration for Prosser's rebellion. In the months preceding
> the attack Prosser skillfully recruited supporters and organized them into
> military units. Authorities never discovered how many slaves were involved,
> but there were undoubtedly several thousand, many armed with swords and
> pikes made from farm tools by slave blacksmiths.
>
> The plan was to strike on the night of Aug. 30, 1800 . Men inside Richmond
> were to set fire to certain buildings to distract whites, and Prosser's
> force from the country was to seize the armory and government buildings
> across town. With the firearms thus gained, the rebels would supposedly
> easily overcome the surprised whites.
>
> On the day of the attack the plot was disclosed by two slaves who did not
> want their masters slain; then Virginia governor James Monroe alerted the
> militia. That night, as the rebels began congregating outside Richmond , the
> worst rainstorm in memory flooded roads, washed out bridges, and prevented
> Prosser's army from assembling. Prosser decided to postpone the attack until
> the next day, but by then the city was too well defended. The rebels,
> including Prosser, dispersed.
>
> Some slaves, in order to save their own lives, testified against the
> ringleaders, about 35 of whom were executed. Prosser himself managed to
> escape by hiding aboard a riverboat on its way to Norfolk . In Norfolk ,
> however, he was betrayed by other slaves, who claimed the large reward for
> his capture on September 25. Returned to Richmond , Prosser, like most of
> the other leaders, refused to confess to the plot or give evidence against
> other slaves. He was tried and found guilty on Oct. 6, 1800 , and executed
> the next day.
>
> http://www.africawi thin.com/ bios/gabriel_ prosser.htm
>
> http://chss. montclair. edu/english/ furr/spl/ gabrielrevolt. html
>
> http://www.pbs. org/wgbh/ aia/part3/ 3p1576.html
>
>
>
> Nat Turner was born on October 2, 1800 , in Southampton County , Virginia
> , the week before Gabriel was hanged. While still a young child, Nat was
> overheard describing events that had happened before he was born. This,
> along with his keen intelligence, and other signs marked him in the eyes of
> his people as a prophet "intended for some great purpose." A deeply
> religious man, he "therefore studiously avoided mixing in society, and
> wrapped [him]self in mystery, devoting [his] time to fasting and praying."
>
> In 1821, Turner ran away from his overseer, returning after thirty days
> because of a vision in which the Spirit had told him to "return to the
> service of my earthly master." The next year, following the death of his
> master, Samuel Turner, Nat was sold to Thomas Moore. Three years later, Nat
> Turner had another vision. He saw lights in the sky and prayed to find out
> what they meant. Then "... while laboring in the field, I discovered drops
> of blood on the corn, as though it were dew from heaven, and I communicated
> it to many, both white and black, in the neighborhood; and then I found on
> the leaves in the woods hieroglyphic characters and numbers, with the forms
> of men in different attitudes, portrayed in blood, and representing the
> figures I had seen before in the heavens."
>
> On May 12, 1828, Turner had his third vision: "I heard a loud noise in the
> heavens, and the Spirit instantly appeared to me and said the Serpent was
> loosened, and Christ had laid down the yoke he had borne for the sins of
> men, and that I should take it on and fight against the Serpent, for the
> time was fast approaching when the first should be last and the last should
> be first... And by signs in the heavens that it would make known to me when
> I should commence the great work, and until the first sign appeared I should
> conceal it from the knowledge of men; and on the appearance of the sign... I
> should arise and prepare myself and slay my enemies with their own weapons."
>
> At the beginning of the year 1830, Turner was moved to the home of Joseph
> Travis, the new husband of Thomas Moore's widow. His official owner was
> Putnum Moore, still a young child. Turner described Travis as a kind master,
> against whom he had no complaints.
>
> Then, in February, 1831, there was an eclipse of the sun. Turner took this
> to be the sign he had been promised and confided his plan to the four men he
> trusted the most, Henry, Hark, Nelson, and Sam. They decided to hold the
> insurrection on the 4th of July and began planning a strategy. However, they
> had to postpone action because Turner became ill.
>
> On August 13, there was an atmospheric disturbance in which the sun
> appeared bluish-green. This was the final sign, and a week later, on August
> 21, Turner and six of his men met in the woods to eat a dinner and make
> their plans. At 2:00 that morning, they set out to the Travis household,
> where they killed the entire family as they lay sleeping. They continued on,
> from house to house, killing all of the white people they encountered.
> Turner's force eventually consisted of more than 40 slaves, most on
> horseback.
>
> By about mid-day on August 22, Turner decided to march toward Jerusalem ,
> the closest town. By then word of the rebellion had gotten out to the
> whites; confronted by a group of militia, the rebels scattered, and Turner's
> force became disorganized. After spending the night near some slave cabins,
> Turner and his men attempted to attack another house, but were repulsed.
> Several of the rebels were captured. The remaining force then met the state
> and federal troops in final skirmish, in which one slave was killed and many
> escaped, including Turner. In the end, the rebels had stabbed, shot and
> clubbed at least 55 white people to death.
>
> On October 30, Nat Turner was discovered and captured. On November 5, he
> was tried in the Southampton County Court and sentenced to execution. He was
> hanged, and then skinned, on November 11.
>
>
>
> http://www.pbs. org/wgbh/ aia/part3/ 3p1518.html
>
> http://en.wikipedia .org/wiki/ Nat_Turner
>
> http://www.historyb uff.com/library/ refslave. html
>