On August 21, 1831, Nat Turner led one of the most significant slave revolts in U.S. history. Known as Nat Turner’s Rebellion, the event took place in Southampton County, Virginia. Turner, an enslaved African American who was deeply religious and believed he was chosen by God to lead his people to freedom, organized the uprising. The rebellion resulted in the deaths of around 60 white people and led to a brutal crackdown on the African American community in the region.

After several days, the rebellion was suppressed by local militias and federal troops. Turner was eventually captured, tried, and executed. In the aftermath, the rebellion had a profound impact on the South, leading to harsher slave codes and an increased climate of fear among slaveholders. It also intensified the debate over slavery in the United States, making it a pivotal moment in the prelude to the Civil War.

Nat Turner’s Rebellion is remembered for its role in the history of resistance to slavery and is a key moment in African American history.