Nat Turner

author

Nat Turner

d. 1831

Remembered as the leader of the 1831 Southampton revolt, he remains one of the most discussed and contested figures in American history. His life and death sit at the center of conversations about slavery, resistance, religion, and memory.

1 Audiobook

The Confessions of Nat Turner The Leader of the Late Insurrections in Southampton, Va. As Fully and Voluntarily Made to Thomas R. Gray, in the Prison Where He Was Confined, and Acknowledged by Him to be Such when Read Before the Court of Southampton; With the Certificate, Under Seal of the Court Convened at Jerusalem, Nov. 5, 1831, For His Trial. Also, an Authentic Account of the Whole Insurrection.

The Confessions of Nat Turner The Leader of the Late Insurrections in Southampton, Va. As Fully and Voluntarily Made to Thomas R. Gray, in the Prison Where He Was Confined, and Acknowledged by Him to be Such when Read Before the Court of Southampton; With the Certificate, Under Seal of the Court Convened at Jerusalem, Nov. 5, 1831, For His Trial. Also, an Authentic Account of the Whole Insurrection.

by Nat Turner

About the author

Born into slavery in Southampton County, Virginia, in 1800, Nat Turner became known as a preacher and a man of intense religious conviction. Accounts from his lifetime describe him as highly intelligent and deeply influenced by biblical visions, which shaped the way he understood his role in the world.

In August 1831, Turner led an uprising in Southampton County that became the deadliest sustained slave revolt in U.S. history. The rebellion was quickly suppressed, and Turner was captured after several weeks in hiding. He was tried and executed in November 1831.

Turner’s legacy has remained powerful and debated ever since. To some, he stands as a symbol of resistance to slavery; to others, he has been portrayed mainly through the violence of the revolt. That tension is part of why biographies of Turner continue to draw such strong interest today.