1. Nat Turner
By: Makenzie Royer
Source:

2. Childhood He was born October 2nd, 1800 in Southampton County
Born on the Virginia plantation of Benjamin Turner
Sold three times as a kid
Thought he had super powers- he could describe events
before he was born

3. Childhood to rule. He was raised in a deeply religious family
Caused him to have frequent visions from god- the
visions greatly influenced his life.
When he was 21, he ran away from his master and returned a
month later due to a vision. From then on, he was called “The
Prophet” among his slaves.
One vision was “the last shall rule, meaning the slaves were meant
to rule.

4. Childhood Had a mom named Nancy, but didn’t know the father
His mom raised him to hate slavery
Was a preacher and taught slaves to read and write

5. Childhood The masters son taught him to read and write
He was sold by the Turner family to a unsuccessful farmer.

6. Childhood Sold again to Joseph Travis
February of 1831, a solar eclipse happened and
Nat thought it was a sign from God telling him to
escape.

7. Rebellion
A second solar eclipse appeared the same year and he thought it
was a sign from God, that a black man’s hand was reaching across
the sun.
It was supposed to begin July 4th, 1831 but he got sick,
so it was postponed.
On August 22nd he got better and the rebellion began

8. Rebellion Nat and seven other slaves killed the Travis family in their
sleep
They ran and left the Travis family dead.
Over time, they got weapons and killed more people

9. Rebellion Spared only those who didn’t compare themselves to
African Americans.
Used weapons like axes and knives
stole horses to ride.

10. Rebellion
His “army” was made up of 70 slaves

11. Confession
Nat confessed only to killing one person

12. Capture He hid for 2 months. Was in the Dismal Swamp area
when he was found unintentionally by a farmer October
30th, 1831.
He was sentenced to death following a trial.
November 1st, 1831, he was hanged.

13. Consequences 200 blacks who were completely unrelated to the \
rebellion were killed by whites.
Congress made it illegal to teach a black to read or
write.
Blacks couldn’t gather together without a white priest
present.

14. Confession His lawyer, Thomas R. Gray, wrote the Confession of
Nat Turner.
Contained conversations and interviews with Nat.
A letter was written by William Styron in 1967 that Nat
and his lawyer were unrealistic.

15. Interesting Facts
In 2002, Nat was named “100 Greatest African Americans” list by Molefi
Kete Asante.
Several songs, comic books, and films have been based on Nat Turner.

16. Nat Turner video