Nat Turner, an enslaved preacher and leader of one of the most significant slave rebellions in American history, was executed by hanging in Jerusalem, Virginia. The Southampton Insurrection, which began on August 21, 1831, resulted in the deaths of around 60 white slaveholders and sparked widespread fear throughout the South. In retaliation, hundreds of Black people—many uninvolved in the revolt—were killed by white militias.

Though his rebellion was suppressed, Nat Turner became a symbol of resistance to slavery and a martyr in the fight for Black liberation. Turner’s revolt intensified the national debate over slavery and led to harsher laws against enslaved and free Black people. His legacy continues to resonate in conversations about freedom, justice, and rebellion against oppression.