TURNER, NAT (1800-1831)

This article appears in Volume V27, Page 479 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: TUM-VAN

TURNER, NAT (1800-1831) , the negro leader of a slave insurrection in Virginia, known as the " Southampton Insurrection," was born in Southampton county, Virginia, in 'Soo. From his childhood he claimed to see visions and hear voices, and he became a Baptist preacher of great influence among the negroes. In 1828 he confided to a few companions that a voice from heaven had announced that " the last shall be first," which was interpreted to mean that the slaves should

control

CONTROL (Fr. contrdle, older form contre rolle, from Med. Lat. contra-rotulus, a counter roll or copy of a document used to check the original; there is no instance in English of the use of " control " in this, its literal, meaning)

. An insurrection was planned, and a solar eclipse in February 1831 and peculiar atmospheric conditions on the 13th of August were accepted as the signal for beginning the

work

WORK

. On the night of the 21st of August 1831, with seven companions, he entered the home of his master, Joseph Travis, and murdered the inmates. After securing guns, horses and liquor they visited other houses, sparing no one. Recruits were added, in some cases by compulsion, until the band numbered about sixty. About

noon

NOON

on the 22nd they were scattered by a small force of whites, hastily gathered. Troops,

marines

MARINES (from Lat. mare, sea)

and militia were hurried to the scene, and the negroes were hunted down. In all thirteen men, eighteen women, and twenty-four children had been butchered. After hiding for several weeks Nat was captured on the 3oth of October and was tried and hanged, having made,. meanwhile, a full

confession

CONFESSION (Lat. confessio, from confiteor, acknowledge, confess)

. Nineteen of his associates were hanged and twelve were sent out of the state. The insurrection, which was attributed to the teachings of the abolitionists, led to the enactment of stricter slave codes.
See S. B. Weeks, " Slave Insurrections in Virginia," in Magazine of American History, vol. xxxi. (New

York

YORK
YORK (
HOUSE
- HOUSE
- HOUSE (O. Eng. hiss, a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. Dut. huis, Ger. Haus; in
  Gothic
  - GOTHIC
  it is only found in gudhiss, a temple; it may be ultimately connected with the root of " hide," conceal)
OF)
YORK, EDMUND OF
LANGLEY
- LANGLEY, SAMUEL PIERPONT (1834-1906)
, DUKE OF (1341-1402)
YORK, EDWARD
YORK, FREDERICK
AUGUSTUS
- AUGUSTUS (a name 1 derived from Lat. augeo, increase, i.e. venerable, majestic, Gr. Ee0avr6s)
, DUKE OF (1763-1827)
YORK, RICHARD, DUKE

, 1891), and W. S. Drewry, The Southampton Insurrection (Washington, 1900).

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