Effects Of Nat Turner's Rebellion

Nat Turner's Rebellion; Influences on Civil War

Nat Turner was born a slave on Oct. 2, 1800 and lived better than most slaves due to being educated. HIs intelligence in literacy led to the ability to study the Bible, ultimately his interpretations of the Bible and signs of God led to his rebellion. Nat Turner received more than enough signs from God and decided on August 22, 1831 to begin his rebellion in Virginia; his ultimate goal being to abolish the cruel slavery system. Him and 60 to 70 slaves went from farm to farm murdering as many whites as they could, killing at least 55 white overall. He was later apprehended and gruesomely hung, skinned, and cut into pieces. The rebellion caused social and political tension between the North

According to Clarence Lusane, author of "Nat Turner's Rebellion and the Legacy of Violence", "Southern slave owners doubled down and imposed even harsher conditions on those enslaved, more restrictions on blacks who were "free", and absolute intolerance for white who questioned the institution" (Lusane). Not only were the slaves treated worse, but even the, supposed, free African-Americans were as well. This aspect of the aftermath created because of the rebellion proves how unsuccessful he was in abolishing slavery. The strict rules enforced for the free African-Americans especially angered the North because they already believed that slavery was morally wrong. Having harsh laws subjected to free African-Americans must have been seen as worse, the political factor created more political tension between the North and the South. L. Maren Wood, author of "Nat Turner's Rebellion", indicate states like North Carolina and Virginia (where the actual rebellion took place, new laws were passed to further restrict the "rights" of both the slaves and free African-Americans. She also goes on to say, "The legislature made it illegal for slaves to preach, to be "insolent" to white people, to carry a gun, to hunt in the woods, cohabitate with a free black or white person, to own any type of livestock. These new codes also

According to PBS, "...in the high hysterical climate that followed the rebellion, close to 22 black people, many of whom had nothing to do with the rebellion, were murdered by white mobs" (PBS). The whites not only went out to avenge the other whites killed who were killed in the rebellion, but murdered innocent slaves and "free" African-Americans. The North already thought slavery was cruel, but with this cruel revenge of innocent lives, this made the North aware of how far the south would go; dividing them even further into war. If the whites or settlers had not interfered and not take the law into their own hands, then many lives own be saved and the North would not have wanted to act on the situation even more. L. Maren Wood, author of "Nat Turner's Rebellion", indicates how the governor of Virginia attempted to stop the "vigilante Justice" by threatening that the white mobs would be tried and executed ,as laws ensure, if they continued. The effort was meaningless for the white mobs went unpunished and the acts had already been committed. If the white mobs would have been tried for murdering, then the North would have seen there was an effort of maintaining equality in the law, which would have possibly fixed the social tension a bit. Wood also says "In