Nearly two centuries later, the legacy of that question is still evolving. Indeed, Sundquist wrote, given its formative role in the course of African American cultural history and both anti- and proslavery argument, it is hard to imagine why Turners Confessions should not be accorded the same attention granted, say, Emersons Self-Reliance or Thoreaus Civil Disobedience.'. The obvious inconsistency between the voice supposedly speaking and the actual language used in this document lessens its authenticity. Thomas Gray Thomas Gray interviewed Nat Turner between his conviction and execution. To do so, he had to establish that the confession was voluntary, that the transcript was accurate, and that Turner was telling the truth. Nat Turners rebellion put an end to the white Southern myth that slaves were either contented with their lot or too servile to mount an armed revolt. In part, this was because at one point his vision seemed too close to the proslavery religion that most slaves rejected. Gabriel used the promise of a confession to secure his safe transportation from Norfolk, where he was discovered hiding aboard a ship, to the state capital in Richmond, where he was to stand trial on charges of conspiracy and insurrection. He began to exert a powerful influence on many of the nearby slaves, who called him the Prophet.. Get access to this video and our entire Q&A library, What Is Slavery? First, God communicated directly to him: at one point, "the Lord had shewn me things that had happened before my birth.". The final pages of the narrative include a list of the men, women and children killed during the insurrection, followed by the names of the people charged with participating (p. 22). The calm way he spoke of his late actions, the expression of his fiend-like face when excited by enthusiasm, still bearing the stains of the blood of helpless innocence about him. He tells of being spoken to by the Holy Spirit, of seeing visions and signs in the heavensthat I was ordained for some great purpose in the hands of the Almighty. In Grays view, He is a complete fanatic, or plays his part most admirably. On November 5th, Nat Turner was tried and condemned to be executed; on November 9th, he was hanged. [5] Neither assertion is correct: William C. Parker was assigned by the court to represent Nat. He did find a survivor who was a 12-year-old girl who gave him a recounting of what happened there. A series of incidents, beginning in childhood, confirmed Turner in the belief that he was intended for some great purpose and that he would surely be a prophet. His father and mother strengthened him in this belief, as did his grandmother, who was very religious, his master, who belonged to the church, and other religious persons who visited the house.. From 1822-1830 was a financially unstable time for his family with his father and Edwin (his brother) falling into debt. Also, Turner thought it was God's will for him to lead. Why did Winfield Scott recommend Robert E. Lee? He was familiar with the outlines of Nat Turners life and the plot, and he was aware of the intense interest and the commercial possibilities of its originators narrative. Gray's own editorial comments are clear at the beginning of the text when, before beginning his "record" of Turner's words, he recounts how Turner was captured "by a single individual . When 1821 comes around hes built his own house, bringing his property worth up to about $500. Both Gabriel and Nat Turner were expected to confess their guilt, provide information on means and motive, and, if necessary, help put idle rumors to rest. Turner begins his story by describing his childhood. In the book Nat Turner: a Slave Rebellion on History and Memory Greenberg state The Confessions of Nat Turner (a published pamphlet Introduction produced as a result of conversations between Turner and local lawyer Thomas R. Gray), and a scattering of other materials. Gray had witnessed the aftermath of the killings, interviewed other participants, and survivors, and had supplied written accounts to various newspapers. Turner, who saw the revolt in Biblical terms, never reconciled himself to this date. Thomas Gray interviewed Nat Turner between his conviction and execution. ] For Turner, but not necessarily for everyone who joined his revolt, the Southampton Revolt was part of an unfolding modern biblical drama. You can get a custom paper by one of our expert writers. He claims that, without being questioned at all, Turner commenced his narrative in the following words (Gray, 5). Several years rolled round, in which many events occurred to strengthen me in this my belief. Don't use plagiarized sources. One confession of Nat Turner is important, they wrote. While he claims that these confessions were recorded with little or no variation, Grays verbose introduction addressed to the public was intended to frame Turner and as a psychotic villain that was rightfully punished for his unlawful acts against society. Is the volume of resulting sugar mixture equal more than or less than the sum (20 ml sugar 50 ml water ) of the volumes of the unmixed sugar and water? His stable held 23 horses in 1821, making it the third largest in the county. Once granted an audience with Virginia governor James Monroe, however, Gabriel confessed little or nothing of value to his captors. Turner reportedly answered, "Was not Christ crucified? It ought to teach [William Lloyd] Garrison and the other fanatics of the North how they meddle with these weak wretches. Garrison, for his part, read the Confessionsof Nat Turner as a testimonial to the heroic stature of Turner. While there was a tradition of white anti-slavery in the regiononly five years before the revolt, Jonathan Lankford was kicked out of Black Creek Baptist church for refusing to give communion to slaveholdersit seems unlikely that Brantley, who was not involved in the revolt, was converted by Turners antislavery. His confessions, dictated from Turners jail cell to a Southampton lawyer, have provided historians with a crucial perspective missing from an earlier planned uprising, by Gabriel (also sometimes known as Gabriel Prosser) in 1800, as well as fodder for debate over the veracity of Turners account. He also at some point married Mary A. He and his brother Edwin got involved in court after being involved in a public fight which disturbed the peace. About | See Page 1. Privacy Statement The first line, supposedly spoken by Turner reads, Sir you have asked me to give a history of the motives which induced me to undertake the late insurrection, as you call it (Gray, 5). Why did Nat Turner believe slavery should be abolished? What kinds of things convinced Nat Turner that he was destined for some-thing special? 100 Charlottesville, VA 22903 (434) 924-3296. Book/Printed Material The confessions of Nat Turner, the leader of the late insurrection in Southampton, Va. as fully and voluntarily made to Thomas R. Gray, in the prison where he was confined, and acknowledged by him to be such when read before the court of Southampton: with the certificate, under seal of the court convened at Jerusalem, Nov. 5, 1831, for his trial. In November of 1831, shortly before to his execution, Turner gave a jailhouse confession, to attorney Thomas Gray, to answer the question. No slave uprising, before or after the incident, had inflicted such a blow on the ranks of slaveholders and their families in the United States. Magazines, Or create a free account to access more articles, How Nat Turner Explained the Slave Rebellion He Led. Armed resistance from the local whites and the arrival of the state militiaa total force of 3,000 menprovided the final crushing blow. Nat Turner (18001831) was known to his local fellow servants in Southampton County as The Prophet. On the evening of Sunday, August 21, 1831, he met six associates in the woods at Cabin Pond, and about 2:00 a.m. they began to enter local houses and kill the white inhabitants. How did Benjamin Banneker help design Washington D.C.? In two days and nights about 60 white people were ruthlessly slain. an academic expert within 3 minutes. How did Thomas R. Gray describe Nat Turner? What are the disadvantages of shielding a thermometer? Each of these texts has demonstrated the power of print media to shape popular perceptions of historical fact, even as each raised critical questions of accuracy, authenticity, and community control over historical interpretations of the past. He makes no attempt (as all the other insurgents who were examined did,) to exculpate himself, but frankly acknowledges his full participation in all the guilt of the transaction, he wrote. In November of 1831, shortly before to his execution, Turner gave a jailhouse confession, to attorney Thomas Gray, to answer the question. As a result, a white lawyer, Thomas R. Gray, arranged to go to the jail where Turner was held awaiting his trial and take down what Turner described as a history of the motives which induced me to undertake the late insurrection. Over the last decade, scholars working with other sources and doing close textual analysis of The Confessions of Nat Turner have become increasingly confident that Gray transcribed Turners confession, with, as Gray claimed, little or no variation.. Thomas R. Gray was a lawyer in Southampton, Virginia, where he visited Nat Turner in jail. Rather than simply describing the events of the insurrection as they happened, the narrative delved deeper into Turners character. Historians and literary critics subjected the pamphlet to close scrutiny and, in several provocative and pathbreaking studies, suggested radically new possibilities for interpretation. The Confessions of Nat Turner was a book published by Thomas R. Gray, the court-appointed lawyer for Turner. Brendan Wolfe, Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, accessed 30 Oct. 2010. Turner pleads not guilty and is quickly found guilty and sentenced to death via hanging (p. 20). Scholarly critics of the post-Styron era, he noted, had tended to emphasize the unreliability of Grays narrative rather than the unique revelatory powers of Nats story., Sundquist, by contrast, argued for the possibility that Nat Turners voiceand hence his thought, his vision, and his leadershipremains strongly present in the historical text that may be reconstructed from the accounts of his revolt and his published document. Sundquist acknowledged his own scholarly agenda in recovering Turners voice. Local lawyer Thomas R. Gray approached Turner with a plan to take down his confessions. Description Nat Turner (1800-1831) was known to his local "fellow servants" in Southampton County as "The Prophet." On the evening of Sunday, August 21, 1831, he met six associates in the woods at Cabin Pond, and about 2:00 a.m. they began to enter local houses and kill the white inhabitants. One-hundred and eighty-five years ago this week, in the early hours of Aug. 22, Turner and a some of his fellow slaves entered Turners masters home, having decided that Turner must spill the first blood to start the rebellion, as Turner would later recount. To install StudyMoose App tap Abraham may have been his father. [11], In the 1960s, William Styron published a fictional and controversial account of the Nat Turner rebellion using the same title as Gray's pamphlet, The Confessions of Nat Turner. Gray hoped to replace a thousand idle, exaggerated and mischievous reports with a single, authoritative account of the event. After his revolt was violently suppressed by local whites and the Virginia state militia, Nat Turner went into hiding but was eventually captured, tried, and hanged. With the exception of African-American folk memories, every one of the routes into the mind and world of Nat Turner is through sources produced by people who deeply hated the rebels and their leader. Filmmaker and actor Nate Parker portrays Southamptons most famous son as a warm, encouraging preacher, in the words of the New Yorkers Vinson Cunningham. With the help of his father, Gray acquired extensive holdings in land and enslaved people. While The Confessions of Nat Turner remains the ur-text for anyone who wants to understand Nat Turner, this 5,000-word account creates as many questions as it answers. Turner had many reasons for revolting, but his most important motive was his hatred of slavery and the suffering his people had to endure. Explain. Why was john brown viewed differently than Nat Turner? According to Gray, an eclipse of the sun in February inspired Turner to confide in four fellow slaves: Henry, Hark, Nelson, and Sam. It is notorious, that he was never known to have a dollar in his life; to swear an oath; or drink a drop of spirits. Nor was Turner motivated by revenge or sudden anger. Turners confessions made clear that he viewed Joseph Travis as a kind master against whom he had no special grievance. Turner was soon captured and the uprising was suppressed. How were Thomas Sankara and Fred Hampton alike? Gray used Turners voice to serve his own agenda, which was to ease the impact if the insurrections and to reaffirm slave owners as to why slavery is justifiable. Nat Turner, (born October 2, 1800, Southampton county, Virginia, U.S.died November 11, 1831, Jerusalem, Virginia), Black American slave who led the only effective, sustained slave rebellion (August 1831) in U.S. history. What was Frederick Jackson Turner main reason for encouraging imperialism? Finally, when the sign appeared again late in August, Turner decided they could not wait longer. Home Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. How did Stokely Carmichael show character? Slavery and Resistance Through History Quiz, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nat-Turner, Nat Turner - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Nat Turner - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). What is A person who sells flower is called? Thomas R. Gray, The Confessions of Nat Turner, 1831 [ p. 3] TO THE PUBLIC. Nat Turner, 1800?-1831 Gray, Thomas R. Title. Turner believed that God continued to communicate with the world. Turner was born the property of a prosperous small-plantation owner in a remote area of Virginia. Accessibility Statement, DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Encyclopedia Virginia, Virginia Humanities. Thomas Ruffin Gray, an enterprising white Southampton County lawyer, assumed the task of recording Turners confessions. The text of the confession also suggests that neither of these statements is actually accurate. Without the literary-historical controversy surrounding Styrons novel, however, the 1831 Confessions of Nat Turner most likely would not be enjoying this scholarly renaissance. Turner had many reasons for revolting, but his most important The text was taken from a jailhouse account given by Turner in 1831, shortly before his death. Students looking for free, top-notch essay and term paper samples on various topics. How did most whites in Southampton view Nat Turner? In an effort to make the pamphlet even more persuasive, Gray makes another very interesting move. In a prefatory note To the Public, Gray spelled out his aims. Although it is not surprising that whites rejected Turners religious views, they were also suspect in the black community. Public curiosity was at a stretch, he said, to understand the motives behind the rebellion. House, bringing his property worth up to about $ 500 seemed too to. 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