Nat Turner Rebellion

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There are moments in our country’s history that stand out in our minds. They are moments in time that capture our attention, test our morals, and change our lives. Some significant events that stick out in most of our minds are, the American Revolution, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and 9/11. Something all these moments have in common is that they are all horrific tragedies. However, they have helped to shape our country. One event that has shaped our country was the Nat Turner’s Rebellion. Nat Turner’s Rebellion was one of the worst slave rebellion in American history. The rebellion took place in Southampton County, Virginia in 1831. Nat Turner was a slave who led the rebellion that took place on August 21st. The rebellion was horrific, caused around fifty white deaths, and lasted for five days (Marcus 232). The rebellion has been analyzed and talked about by many historians, authors, and researchers. By taking a look at some articles and interviews we can get a sense of what they believed caused the rebellion and what should be done as a result of it. In 1832, Thomas R. Gray published The Confessions of Nat Turner. Gray was able to interview Turner before he was executed, allowing us to get a look into who Turner was and why he did what he did. In the interview Turner reveals that from a young age the people around him, including his parents and grandmother, knew he was going to do something with a purpose. This was reassured for Turner when he had a prophecy from a Spirit and in that moment knew that he was intended for some great purpose. One night the Spirit came to him and told him about a Serpent. This Serpent symbolized the whites that were suppressing them. Turner was to receive a sign and when that sign appeared he would kill his enemies. This sign came to him in the form of a solar eclipse. After the eclipse
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