Nat Turner

Nat Turner, who led the most consequential slave rebellion in U.S. history, was born enslaved in Southampton County, Virginia.

Early life

Born into slavery in Southampton County in 1800, Turner was deeply religious and regarded by many as a preacher.

In August 1831 he led an uprising of enslaved people against slaveholders, an event that shook the antebellum South.

His rebellion intensified national debate over slavery and hardened both abolitionist and pro-slavery positions.

Turner remains a profoundly significant and much-debated figure in the history of American slavery and resistance.

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