![]() ![]() As he stated in his introduction, " the first instance in our history of an open rebellion of the slaves” and “ has greatly excited the public mind.” Meantime, Gray had gambling debts to pay off, and he surely recognized the money-making potential of a publication about the sensational topic of the moment. He would later represent several of the Southampton rebels in court. He had studied law, but was not yet a practicing lawyer. Down on his luck, he had gone from living on an estate worked by 21 enslaved blacks in 1829 to owning only one by 1831. Gray’s Situation:Gray was a young white man who took it upon himself to interview Turner in his jail cell over several days before the trial. The historical account that has most shaped our understanding of Turner and the rebellion is The Confessions of Nat Turner by Thomas Ruffin Gray. In his pamphlet’s introduction, Gray claimed that he wrote down Turner’s words, “with little or no variation.” There are many reasons to cast doubt upon the accuracy of this account. ![]() ( The Raleigh Register, 1 September 1831) (Laws had recently been passed forbidding slaves to learn to read and write, to prevent slaves from being inspired by the writings of such abolitionists as David Walker. Shortly thereafter, North Carolina pass a law forbidding both enslaved and free blacks from preaching. The papers also cited Turner’s ability to read, write and preach as problems. Turner convinced others to join him by preaching a false interpretation of Bible verses that supported his plan.Turner was angry because his master did not allow him to marry another slave.Runaway slaves who had left their loving masters just needed to steal food.Because the reporters could not imagine that enslaved blacks would rise up and fight together, newspapers in Virginia and other states attributed different motives for what happened: Here is where the stories about Turner and the Southampton Rebellion go in different directions:Ī Virginia newspaper report at the time described Nat Turner as a “fanatic preacher,” “artful, impudent, and vindictive, without any cause or provocation.” It described the rebels as drunks and the property of slave masters who were “kind and indulgent.” ( Richmond Enquirer, August 30, 1831).
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