In 1831 a slave named Nat Turner led a rebellion in Southhampton County, Virginia. A religious leader and self-styled Baptist minister, Turner and a group of followers killed some sixty White men, women, and children on the night of August 21. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress

This hidden history of Black slave rebellion is almost completely left out of history books in American schools.

The Stono Rebellion

The Stono Rebellion was one of the earliest organized acts of Black slave resistance. On September 9, 1739, 20 Black slaves in South Carolina gathered at the Stono River to plan a march. After marching to the Stono Bridge they seized weapons and ammunition from a store and killed the store’s owners. They continued to march south towards Spanish Florida, which was at that time a well known refuge for escaped slaves.

On the way, more insurgents joined them in the rebellion. On the trail, they burned seven plantations and killed 20 Whites. The next day, a mounted militia of slave masters and plantation owners confronted the group of Black slaves. Forty-four of the slaves were killed and the Stono Rebellion was ended. The remaining captured slaves were decapitated and their heads were displayed on posts along the route of the rebellion sending a message to those who would consider planning future uprisings.

The Haitian Revolution

Another early episode of Black resistance was the Haitian Revolution, 1791-1804. It is remembered as one of the most successful slave rebellions ever to take place in the Western hemisphere. Led by Toussaint L’Ouverture and his top military general Jean-Jacques Dessalines (later known as Emperor Jacques I), it ultimately resulted in the formation of the independent Black Republic of Haiti and defeat of the French.

Denmark Vesey

Inspired by the Haitian Revolution, Denmark Vesey planned what would have been one of the largest Black slave rebellions in the U.S. Scheduled to take place on Bastille Day, July 14, 1822, word of a planned rebellion spread to thousands of Black slaves throughout Charleston, S.C. and along the Carolina coastal areas.

Vesey and his group of fellow slaves planned to slay their slave masters and seize control of the city of Charleston. Vesey and his followers planned to sail to Haiti after the rebellion. The plot, however, was leaked to authorities by two Black slaves who disagreed with the plan. The rebellion was over before it began. One-hundred and thirty-one people were charged with conspiracy, 67 were convicted and 35 were hanged, including Vesey.

David Walker’s Appeal

In 1829, David Walker, a free Black abolitionist wrote a bold 76-page pamphlet, “Walker’s Appeal.” His writings called for Black pride and demanded the immediate and complete emancipation of Black slaves. In addition to identifying the causes of Black suffering, he also encouraged violent rebellion as a remedy for Blacks seeking freedom.

The Nat Turner Rebellion

Nat Turner was a Black slave who led an uprising in Southampton County, Va. By all historical accounts, it is considered the most remarkable incident of Black resistance to slavery in the antebellum South.

On February 12, 1831, a solar eclipse was seen in Virginia. Turner saw this as a Black man’s hand reaching over the sun. This celestial sign was interpreted as meaning that he should make preparations for a slave rebellion. Turner and a few of his trustworthy rebellious fellow slaves originally planned for July 4th to be the date of the rebellion, but, after further discussion and deliberation, they postponed the date. On Aug. 13, there was another solar eclipse, which Turner interpreted as the final sign. The uprising began Aug. 21. Slaves seeking justice went from house to house freeing slaves and killing all White people encountered. At the end of the rebellion which lasted two days, 57 Whites were killed.

Turner eluded capture by authorities until Oct. 30. On Nov. 5, 1831, Nat was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. He was hanged Nov. 11. After being executed, his corpse was beheaded and his body quartered.

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For a better understanding of the above-mentioned rebellions and further study related to the others, get the following books:

• “American Negro Slave Revolts” by Herbert Aptheker

• “Runaway Slaves: Rebels on the Plantation” by John Hope Franklin

• “Avengers of the New World: The Story of the Haitian Revolution” by Laurent DuBois

• “The Invisible War: African American Anti-Slavery Resistance from the Stono Rebellion through the Seminole Wars” by Y.N. Kly