Nat Turner

Born into slavery, an African-American preacher who led the four-day rebellion of enslaved and free black people in Southampton County, Virginia in 1831 is named for Nat Turner. He made history as the leader of one of the bloodiest slave revolts in America on 21st August 1831. Spreading terror throughout the white South, his action set off a new wave of oppressive legislation prohibiting the education, movement, and assembly of slaves and stiffened proslavery, antiabolitionist convictions that persisted in that region until the American Civil War (1861-1965). Following the insurrection, he hid for six weeks, but he was eventually caught and later hanged. The rebelling slaves killed around 60 white people, but over 100 slaves were later killed by white militias as revenge. The incident ended the emancipation movement in that region and led to even harsher laws against slaves. He also became an icon of the 1960s Black Power movement. He was hanged on November 11, 1831, in Jerusalem, Virginia. He was mentioned in the Pulitzer Prize-winning book "The Confessions of Nat Turner" by William Styron.