Nat Turner was an African American slave who lead a rebellion of slaves and 'free blacks' in Southampton County Virginia in 1831. The rebellion was brief but bloody, and resulted in the deaths of over 50 white people - deemed all the more shocking at the time as they were mostly from the rich landowning class.
The state's response to the rebellion was swift and brutal, ultimately capturing and executing all of the rebels, but also unleashing mobs and militias who killed over 200 members of the local black population.
Following the rebellion Virginia and other Southern states brought in even more repressive policies, such as the prohibition of education for slaves and restricted rights of assembly. Nat Turner's rebellion has gained infamy due to the violence and bloodshed of both the rebellion and the aftermath that followed.
The events were recorded by Thomas R. Gray who served as the attorney for Nat Turner's defence, and this ebook contains an introduction by Xander Price
The events of Nat Turner's Rebellion have been made into a major motion picture called 'The Birth of a Nation' which has already won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and is due for release in 2016.
