Nat Turner
changed Hathi Trust to HathiTrust, cleanup
| ← Previous revision | Revision as of 02:30, 20 April 2026 | ||
| Line 42: | Line 42: | ||
Turner was motivated by strong convictions, at least partly inspired by his religious beliefs, to organize his fellow slaves against enslavement. Historian and theologian Joseph Dreis says, "In connecting this vision to the motivation for his rebellion, Turner makes it clear that he sees himself as participating in the confrontation between [[God's Kingdom]] and the anti-Kingdom that characterized his social-historical context."{{cite journal |last1=Dreis |first1=Joseph |date=November 2014 |title=Nat Turner's Rebellion as a Process of Conversion: Towards a Deeper Understanding of the Christian Conversion Process |journal=Black Theology |volume=12 |issue=3 |page=231}} After Turner viewed the [[solar eclipse]] in 1831, he was certain that God wanted the revolt to commence. |
Turner was motivated by strong convictions, at least partly inspired by his religious beliefs, to organize his fellow slaves against enslavement. Historian and theologian Joseph Dreis says, "In connecting this vision to the motivation for his rebellion, Turner makes it clear that he sees himself as participating in the confrontation between [[God's Kingdom]] and the anti-Kingdom that characterized his social-historical context."{{cite journal |last1=Dreis |first1=Joseph |date=November 2014 |title=Nat Turner's Rebellion as a Process of Conversion: Towards a Deeper Understanding of the Christian Conversion Process |journal=Black Theology |volume=12 |issue=3 |page=231}} After Turner viewed the [[solar eclipse]] in 1831, he was certain that God wanted the revolt to commence. |
||
Historian Jean W. Cash notes that despite Turner’s revelations being dismissed by some historians for appearing delusional or incoherent, they fit a pattern of leadership focused on a biblical interpretation of prophetic divine wrath. According to Cash, Turner's visions appear to be rooted in his understanding of apocalyptic Christian theology, where Old Testament themes of revolutionary reform and divine justice are prevalent.{{Cite journal |last=Cash |first=Jean W. |date=2019 |title=Nat Turner: fragmented, disjointed, Images |journal=Mississippi Quarterly |volume=72 |issue=1 |pages=124 |doi=10.1353/mss.2019.0004 }} Cash notes that Turner’s self-conception as a prophet was a product of a coherent religious world view at that time, as opposed to him having mental instability. |
Historian Jean W. Cash notes that, despite Turner’s revelations being dismissed by some historians for appearing delusional or incoherent, they fit a pattern of leadership focused on a biblical interpretation of prophetic divine wrath. According to Cash, Turner's visions appear to be rooted in his understanding of apocalyptic Christian theology, where Old Testament themes of revolutionary reform and divine justice are prevalent.{{Cite journal |last=Cash |first=Jean W. |date=2019 |title=Nat Turner: fragmented, disjointed, Images |journal=Mississippi Quarterly |volume=72 |issue=1 |pages=124 |doi=10.1353/mss.2019.0004 }} Cash notes that Turner’s self-conception as a prophet was a product of a coherent religious world view at that time, as opposed to him having mental instability. |
||
==Rebellion== |
==Rebellion== |
||
| Line 71: | Line 71: | ||
The family was separated after Samuel Turner died in 1823, when Turner was sold to Thomas Moore and his family was sold to Giles Reese.{{cite book |last1=Bisson |first1=Terry |title=Nat Turner |last2=Huggins |first2=Nathan Irvin |year=1988 |publisher=Chelsea House Publishers |isbn=1-55546-613-3 |publication-place=New York |page=21 |oclc=17383625 |author-link=Terry Bisson}}{{Cite web |last=Wood |first=Peter H. |title=Nat Turner {{!}} Encyclopedia of Race and Racism |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/social-sciences-and-law/social-reformers/nat-turner |access-date=2022-12-10 |website=Cengage Encyclopedia}} By 1831, his son was enslaved by Piety Reese and lived on a farm that was near the Travis farm where Turner was enslaved. However, in February 1831, Reese's son John used Turner's son as collateral for a family debt. One historian notes that Turner approached his conspirators for the rebellion days after his son was used as collateral. |
The family was separated after Samuel Turner died in 1823, when Turner was sold to Thomas Moore and his family was sold to Giles Reese.{{cite book |last1=Bisson |first1=Terry |title=Nat Turner |last2=Huggins |first2=Nathan Irvin |year=1988 |publisher=Chelsea House Publishers |isbn=1-55546-613-3 |publication-place=New York |page=21 |oclc=17383625 |author-link=Terry Bisson}}{{Cite web |last=Wood |first=Peter H. |title=Nat Turner {{!}} Encyclopedia of Race and Racism |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/social-sciences-and-law/social-reformers/nat-turner |access-date=2022-12-10 |website=Cengage Encyclopedia}} By 1831, his son was enslaved by Piety Reese and lived on a farm that was near the Travis farm where Turner was enslaved. However, in February 1831, Reese's son John used Turner's son as collateral for a family debt. One historian notes that Turner approached his conspirators for the rebellion days after his son was used as collateral. |
||
After the rebellion, the authorities beat and tortured Cherry Turner in hopes of finding her husband.{{Cite book|last1=Bisson |first1=Terry |last2=Davenport |first2=John |year=2005 |title=Nat Turner: Slave Revolt Leader |publisher=Chelsea House Publications |page=22 |isbn=0791083411}} On September 26, 1831, the ''Richmond Constitutional Whig'' published a story about the raiding of Reese plantation stating that, "some papers [were] given up by his wife, under the lash."Kossuth, Lajos (1852). ''[https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101072313412?urlappend=%3Bseq=80%3Bownerid=27021597768335040-86 Letter to Louis Kossuth: Concerning Freedom and Slavery in the United States]''. R.F. Walcutt. p. 76. via |
After the rebellion, the authorities beat and tortured Cherry Turner in hopes of finding her husband.{{Cite book|last1=Bisson |first1=Terry |last2=Davenport |first2=John |year=2005 |title=Nat Turner: Slave Revolt Leader |publisher=Chelsea House Publications |page=22 |isbn=0791083411}} On September 26, 1831, the ''Richmond Constitutional Whig'' published a story about the raiding of Reese plantation stating that, "some papers [were] given up by his wife, under the lash."Kossuth, Lajos (1852). ''[https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101072313412?urlappend=%3Bseq=80%3Bownerid=27021597768335040-86 Letter to Louis Kossuth: Concerning Freedom and Slavery in the United States]''. R.F. Walcutt. p. 76. via HathiTrust. |
||
==Legacy== |
==Legacy== |
||
