The Confessions of Nat Turner

Nat, commonly called Nat Turner, (1800-1831) was an American slave whose slave rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia, was the most remarkable instance of black resistance to enslavement in the antebellum southern United States. His methodical slaughter of white civilians during the uprising makes his legacy controversial, but he is still considered by many to be a heroic figure of black resistance to oppression. His rebellion was suppressed within 48 hours, but he eluded capture until he was discovered hiding in a cave and then taken to court. In November, 1831, Nat was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. He was hanged in the same month in Jerusalem, Virginia, now known as Courtland, Virginia. After his execution, his lawyer, Thomas Ruffin Gray, took it upon himself to publish The Confessions of Nat Turner (1832).