how did thomas r gray describe nat turner

THOMAS R. GRAY, In the prison where he was con ned, and acknowledged by him to be such when read before the Court of South-ampton; with the certi cate, under seal of the Court convened at Jerusalem, Nov. 5, 1831, for his trial. Privacy Statement FAQ | But the slave rebel turned Gray's purpose to his own advantage. Kenneth S. Greenberg, professor, and Chair of the History Department at Suffolk University explains why Gray's book is not reliable as one may think. Tens of thousands of Americans have come to know the event only through William Styrons 1967 novelThe Confessions of Nat Turner. Turner is tormented by his inability to pray or read the Bible, two matters that Thomas Gray, an atheist lawyer and magistrate, uses to coax Turner into making his "confessions." My Account | Though he may not have been as vicious as Gray portrayed him to be, the description was meant to to bring its object into a field of vision, to make that object speak for itself convincingly and to give it form, character, and tone (Browne, 319). In his Confessions, Turner quoted the Gospel of Luke twice, and scholars have found many other passages in which his language echoed the language of the Bible including passages from Ezekiel, Joshua, Isaiah, Matthew, Mark, and Revelation. How did Nat Turner believe he was set apart? 12. (2016, Dec 25). Nat Turner, an enslaved preacher and self-styled prophet, leads the deadliest revolt of enslaved people in Virginia's history, which in just twelve hours leaves fifty-five white people dead in Southampton County. 10-11). Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Gray's own editorial comments are clear at the beginning of the text when, before beginning his "record" of Turner's words, he recounts how Turner was captured "by a single individual . E-Texts in American Studies How did Thomas R. Gray describe Nat Turner? . What are the disadvantages of shielding a thermometer? During a span of approximately thirty-six hours, on August 21-22, a band of enslaved people murdered over fifty unsuspecting white people around Southampton, Virginia. At some point it's believed that Thomas Gray sold these slaves which were called "legacy slaves" and took the money for himself. Gray depicts Turner as a religious leader who at a young age was touched by divine greatness, and whose mother concluded that "surely" he would "be a prophet." According to Confessions, a divine spirit also dictated Turner's otherwise unexplainable return after running away in 1825. Turner was instructed to await the appearance of a sign in the heavens before communicating his great work to any others. Soon after, he finds "drops of blood on the corn as though it were dew from heaven" and "hieroglyphic characters" on the "leaves in the woods" (p. 10). The Confessions of Nat Turner, the Leader of the Late Insurrection in Southampton, Va. This horrific image of Turner was intended to shape the minds of the public in such a way that their minds would be made up before even reaching turners actual confessions. You can get a custom paper by one of our expert writers. Gray, Thomas R. Title. Why did people like Booker T. Washington? Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital [2], Their land they owned was next to the plantation of Joseph Ruffin who was Edmund Ruffins's father's cousin. With the exception of African-American folk memories, every one of the routes into the mind and world of Nat Turner is through sources produced by people who deeply hated the rebels and their leader. Thomas R. Gray, a lawyer and plantation owner assigned as Turner's defense counsel, interviewed Turner during his trial and later published The Confessions of Nat Turner, a pamphlet containing the story of Turner's rebellion from his own point of view. The wording and overall structure used to describe the events may very well have been those of Gray, who held a law degree. Turner was instructed to await the appearance of a sign in the heavens before communicating his great work to any others. Though their families worked the same Southampton County soil, their birthrights could not have been more different. Several years rolled round, in which many events occurred to strengthen me in this my belief. In what ways did the views of W.E.B. With the eclipse, the seal was removed from my lips, and I communicated the great work laid out for me to do, to four in whom I had the greatest confidence, the first conspirators to join his plot. How did the north respond to Nat Turner's actions? Not long afterward, in 1825, Turner had a second vision: I saw white spirits and black spirits engaged in battle, and the sun was darkenedthe thunder rolled, and the blood flowed in streamsand I heard a voice saying, Such is your luck, such you are called to see, and let it come rough or smooth, you must surely bare it. This spirit confronted Turner again in May 1828: I heard a loud noise in the heavens and the Spirit instantly appeared to me and said the Serpent was loosened, and Christ had laid down the yoke he had borne for the sins of men, and that I should take it on and fight against the Serpent, for the time was fast approaching when the first should be last and the last should be first.. So the first question is, who was Gray and why was he doing this? While nothing about the narrative suggests that Gray forced Turner into telling his story, Gray structures the narrative put an emphasis on Turners religious convictions and the revolts malicious violence, which portrayed Turner as being violently vengeful. INSURRECTION IN SOUTHAMPTON, VA. As fully and voluntarily made to. While Turner acknowledged Gray's rendering of his confession as "full, free, and voluntary" during his trial, there can be no doubt that Turner's execution was inevitable, regardless of his confession, given the climate in the state following the insurrection (p. 5). When he was 21 his father gave him 400 acres at Round Hill where there was a structure worth about $50. > Styron, who died in 2006, recognized the cottage industry he had spurred as an ironic consequence of his own meditation on history., Encyclopedia Virginia946 Grady Ave. Ste. It was intended by us to have begun the work of death on the 4th July last (Gray, 7). Almost all of those involved or suspected of involvement in the insurrection were put to death, including Nat Turner, who was the last known conspirator to be captured. Accessibility Statement, DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Gray was deeply disturbed by the scenes he observed as the group went through the areas treaded by the rebellion. Also, Turner thought it was God's will for him to lead. Another interesting thing about the confessions is the speaking style Gray claims Turners confessed the events of the insurgence in. While he was in his 20s, Turner ran away from his owner. By clicking Check Writers Offers, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy. 100 Charlottesville, VA 22903 (434) 924-3296. [5] Neither assertion is correct: William C. Parker was assigned by the court to represent Nat. [10], Gray published The Confessions of Nat Turner, which purports to be Turner's confession and account of his life leading up the rebellion, as well as an account of Turner's motives and actions during the rebellion. How does Jacob Lawrence characterize American art? His neighbors saw stars in the sky, not realizing that according to Turner, they were really the lights of the Saviour's hands, stretched forth from east to west. More often Turner looked at prodigiesor unusual natural phenomenaas indirect messages from God. But what do we really know about Turners religion? The author describes Nat as intelligent because of his thinking and highly dangerous because of his actions and how Nat doesn't feel any sorrow for his actions. Throughout the region, Protestant churches run by whites ministered to both whites and blacks. The opportunities to assess and reassess Turners legacy, however, are far from over: The Sundance sensation Nat Turner film, The Birth of a Nation, arrives in theaters in October. Gray used his supposed knowledge of law from 1819 to 1822 because of this case. [1] He grew up as the son of a slave owner and when his grandfather died his father inherited 5 slaves and 400 acres of land. A deeply religious person, Nat Turner believed that he had been called by God to lead African Americans out of slavery. He is a complete fanatic, or plays his part most admirably., Turners narrativepresented, Gray insisted, with little or no variation, from his own wordsgave an autobiographical history of the late insurrection and the motives behind it. What is The Way to Wealth by Benjamin Franklin about? Nat Turner (1800-1831) was known to his local "fellow servants" in Southampton County as "The Prophet." On the evening of Sunday, August 21, 1831, he met six associates in the woods at Cabin Pond, and about 2:00 a.m. they began to enter local houses and kill the white inhabitants. What are some positive impacts Nat Turner? Nat turner was a leader and he did help slaves to be free. Why did Frederick Douglass admire John Brown? How did most whites in Southampton view Nat Turner? As a result, the document has become a springboard for artists who want to imagine the life of the most famous American to rebel against slavery. While Turner valued the Bible, he rejected the corollary that scripture alone was the only reliable source of guidance on matters religious and moral. How did A. Philip Randolph confront Roosevelt? There were a lot of errors in the two trying to name the dead and sometimes survivors were put with the dead by accident. Terms of Use Instead it seems more likely that Brantley was drawn by Turners millennialism, Turners ability to convert Brantleys heart, and Turners success in stopping the outbreak of a disease where blood oozed from Brantleys pores. Even though Turners situation was a unique one, slave owners at the time had to recognize the potentiality for violence iven the peculiar mix of social, psychological, and racial tensions shaping life on the antebellum plantation thus required a certain logic with which threats to that way of life might be explained (Browne, 316). But in the weeks immediately afterward, Americans everywhere clamored to know something that may now seem obvious: Why had he done it? Thomas R. Gray, The Confessions of Nat Turner, 1831 [ p. 3] TO THE PUBLIC. He learned to read from one of his masters sons, and he eagerly absorbed intensive religious training. Faulkner who, in speaking of the differences between the North and the South, was particularly prescient: You must adopt some plan of emancipation, he declared, or worse will follow., Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter, During the mid-20th century, the Nat Turner story was revisited by many, in the course of the movement for the study of black history in schools, an attempt to remedy the fact that many mainstream textbooks glossed over or omitted major turning points in the history of the U.S. if the people involved were black. Type your requirements and Ill connect you to The Nat Turner insurrection frightened slaveowners because it coincided with other insurrections in at least a half dozen places in the . Gray depicted Turner as an exceptional figure, distinguished from his followers by his honesty, his commanding intelligence, and his firm belief in the righteousness of his cause. Theres a possibility that between 1815 and 1820 he couldve followed his cousin James as an apprentice to James Rochelle in their countys clerks office this place occasionally served as a school for lawyers. He resigned as a Justice of Peace. Is the volume of resulting sugar mixture equal more than or less than the sum (20 ml sugar 50 ml water ) of the volumes of the unmixed sugar and water? Doomed from the start, Turners insurrection was handicapped by lack of discipline among his followers and by the fact that only 75 Blacks rallied to his cause. (Close reading) How did the author describe Turner? [3], In 1829 he bought his brother Roberts property - who had recently died - (giving him 800 acres of real property), he also bought a lot - a piece of land - in town with a house and got of another one. Grays description of his own apprehensions while transcribing Turners confession was intended to demonstrate the insurrections effect on slave owners at the time. While The Confessions of Nat Turner remains the ur-text for anyone who wants to understand Nat Turner, this 5,000-word account creates as many questions as it answers. Then, in 1967, the novelist William Styrons The Confessions of Nat Turner turned Turners story into an award-winning bestseller, which he called a meditation on history rather than a historical novel. It is notorious, that he was never known to have a dollar in his life; to swear an oath; or drink a drop of spirits. Nor was Turner motivated by revenge or sudden anger. Turners confessions made clear that he viewed Joseph Travis as a kind master against whom he had no special grievance. Destructive 'Super Pigs' From Canada Threaten the Northern U.S. Did an Ancient Magnetic Field Reversal Cause Chaos for Life on Earth 42,000 Years Ago? When captured after the revolt, Turner readily placed his revolt in a biblical context, comparing himself at some times to the Old Testament prophets, at another point to Jesus Christ. Turner eluded his pursuers for six weeks but was finally captured, tried, and hanged. He published The Confessions of Nat Turner, the leader of the late insurrection in Southampton, Va., as fully and voluntarily made to Thomas R. Gray in November 1831, after Turner had been executed. Will responded his life was worth no more than others, and his liberty as dear to him. Will professed no loyalty to Turner and gave no hint that he believed in Turners religion. That was why, shortly before his execution, he reflected, I am here loaded with chains, and willing to suffer the fate that awaits me., Grays judgment on all this? With Turner firmly established as author of the Confessionsof Nat Turner and his radical commentary on race and American democracy fully explicated, the text could assume its rightful place in the literary canon of the American Renaissance. Nathaniel "Nat" Turner was born a slave on October 2, 1800 on a plantation. Tomlins' first chapter focuses on the most important source on the revolt, Thomas R. Gray's The Confessions of Nat Turner (Richmond, 1832). Patrick H. Breen teaches at Providence College. Nat Turner, (born October 2, 1800, Southampton county, Virginia, U.S.died November 11, 1831, Jerusalem, Virginia), Black American slave who led the only effective, sustained slave rebellion (August 1831) in U.S. history. Scholarly critics of the post-Styron era, he noted, had tended to emphasize the unreliability of Grays narrative rather than the unique revelatory powers of Nats story., Sundquist, by contrast, argued for the possibility that Nat Turners voiceand hence his thought, his vision, and his leadershipremains strongly present in the historical text that may be reconstructed from the accounts of his revolt and his published document. Sundquist acknowledged his own scholarly agenda in recovering Turners voice. With the help of his father, Gray acquired extensive holdings in land and enslaved people. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Explain. Don't use plagiarized sources. A deeply religious man, he "therefore studiously avoided mixing in society, and wrapped [him]self in mystery, devoting [his] time to fasting and praying. 55, 40 In an essay titled Thomas R. Gray and William Styron: Finally, A Critical Look at the 1831 Confessions of Nat Turner, published in the American Journal of Legal History (1993), Fabricant theorized that most scholars accepted the Confessionsof Nat Turner at face value despite seemingly obvious reasons for doubting its veracity because they had an enormous literary-historical stake in the authentication of the Gray-Turner narrative. The story began, Turner said, in his childhood, when he had an experience that seemed to his family an indication of the powers of prophesy. In Southampton county Black people came to measure time from Nats Fray, or Old Nats War. For many years in Black churches throughout the country, the name Jerusalem referred not only to the Bible but also covertly to the place where the rebel slave had met his death. Has Nat Turner changed his mind about the rebellion? Turner begins his story by describing his childhood. Gray vividly describes Turners unrelenting nature as, The calm, deliberate composure with which he spoke of his late deeds and intentions, the expression of his fiend-like face when excited by enthusiasm, still bearing the stains of the blood of helpless innocence about him; clothed with rags and covered with chains; yet daring to raise his manacled hands to heaven, with a spirit soaring above the attributes of man; I looked on him and my blood curdled in my veins (Gray, 11). The negroes found fault, and murmurred against me, saying that if they had my sense they would not serve any master in the world.. Efforts to canonize the original Confessions of Nat Turneras a great work of American literature in the 1990s reflected its rising stature within the academy. Gray grew up in a wealthy family with deep roots in Southampton County and powerful connections in local, state, and federal politics. Corrections? Now finding I had arrived to mans estate, and was a slave, and these revelations being made known to me, I began to direct my attention to this great object, to fulfil the purpose for which, by this time, I felt assured I was intended. The Confessions of Nat Turner, the Leader of the Late Insurrection in Southampton, Va. See Page 1. But he himself only ever lived in Southampton. In 1830 he becomes a founding member of the Jerusalem Jockey Club. In November of 1831, shortly before to his execution, Turner gave a jailhouse confession, to attorney Thomas Gray, to answer the question. Describe Southampton Nat Turner Slave in Virginia who started a slave rebellion in 1831 believing he was receiving signs from God His rebellion was the largest sign of black resistance to slavery in America and led the state legislature of Virginia to a policy that said no one could question slavery. They raised hogs and sheep and grew corn and cotton on their land. How was Thomas Watson's poetry viewed in his lifetime? (She was found next to a pile of bodies). From 1822-1830 was a financially unstable time for his family with his father and Edwin (his brother) falling into debt. > Although the book is a primary source, future historians and literary scholars have found bias in Gray's writing indicating that Gray had not portrayed Turner's voice as much as he claimed he did. Spring of 1831, his family lost essentially all of their taxable slaves, its assumed they were forced to sell them because theres no records of them ever freeing anyone. How were Gabriel Prosser, Denmark Vesey, and Nat Turner similar? Advertising Notice The resulting extended essay, "The Confessions of Nat Turner, The Leader of the Late Insurrection in Southampton, VA.," was used against Turner during his trial. Thomas R. Gray wrote this document. It ought to teach [William Lloyd] Garrison and the other fanatics of the North how they meddle with these weak wretches. Garrison, for his part, read the Confessionsof Nat Turner as a testimonial to the heroic stature of Turner. A thirty-year old attorney, THOMAS R. GRAY, his clothes clean but frayed, speaks to the JAILER. The lawyer Thomas R. Gray meets with Nat Turner, accused of leading a slave revolt, in the Southampton County jail. Reluctance to probe Grays work, he wrote, may reflect the belief that criticism would necessarily call into question the veracity of the narrative he attributes to Nat, and the validity of much of what has come to be accepted as Nats life story and his legacy as one of the earliest and most important black-American revolutionary figures.. . Thomas Gray, a smug, oily prosecuting attorney, urges Nat to "confess" his crimes and make peace with God. Thomas Gray, The Confessions of Nat Turner His Parents Two of the other slaves who came into Benjamin Turner's holdings in January of 1793 were listed as Abraham and Anne. The text was taken from a jailhouse account given by Turner in 1831, shortly before his death. Although it is not surprising that whites rejected Turners religious views, they were also suspect in the black community. Not everyone, however, loved the novelwhich inspired a backlash that culminated in the 1968 publication of William Styrons Nat Turner: Ten Black Writer Respond, in which Styron was called out for minimizing the degree to which Turner was just one of many slaves who rightfully harbored rebellious desires, among other critiques. 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 (186165). Thomas Gray interviewed Nat Turner between his conviction and execution. Nat Turner, 1800?-1831 He paid taxes on 2 horses and 14 slaves that were older than 12 that spring. Slavery and Resistance Through History Quiz, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nat-Turner, Nat Turner - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Nat Turner - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Rather than simply describing the events of the insurrection as they happened, the narrative delved deeper into Turners character. Gray used Turners voice to serve his own agenda, which was to ease the impact if the insurrections and to reaffirm slave owners as to why slavery is justifiable. For example, as TIME explained in 1964, a teachers guide had to be distributed to schools to point out to educators and students that contrary to folklore, slaves hated slavery so passionately that thousands joined bloody revolts. NARRATOR (VO) It was there in a jail cell that Nat Turner first encountered a local lawyer, Thomas R. Gray. Mr. John T. Baron, discovering them approaching his house, told his wife to make her escape, and scorning to fly, fell fighting on his own threshold. Why did Nat Turner became an insurrectionist? Even though the accounts in this confession may not be completely accurate, Grays transcriptions represent Turner as being firmly religious. He was born sometime in the early 1800s, the exact date is unknown. October of 1830, he became certified as an attorney and was allowed to start practicing in court in December. How were John Brown and Nat Turner alike? Some of them owned Bibles anyway, which could then serve as tangible reminders of the Good News contained within. Turners views were clearly unacceptable to the whites who controlled Southamptons interracial churches. Working through a white recorder, Turner used the vehicle of the confessions to impose his prophetic voice on the narrative of the event. Turner had many reasons for revolting, but his most important motive was his hatred of slavery and the suffering his people had to endure. Turner, on the other hand, learned how to read as a child, and his Bible was the book that he knew intimately. "The Confessions of Nat Turner, the leader of the late insurrection in Southampton, Virginia, 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, November 5, 1831, I was determined to end public curiosity and write down Nat Turner's statements, and publish . The text of the confession also suggests that neither of these statements is actually accurate. Often these churches black members met separately from its white members, but on communion day the entire church black and white came together to commemorate Jesuss last supper. By noon of Tuesday, August 23, the insurgents had been killed, captured, or dispersed by local militia. How were Booker T. Washington and Ben Franklin similar? A planned slave revolt led by a blacksmith named Gabriel (owned by Thomas Prosser, of Henrico County) is thwarted when a huge storm delays the meeting of the conspirators and a few nervous slaves reveal the plot to their masters. How did Frederick Jackson Turner influence American society? How did Thomas Jefferson show civic virtue? While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Turners views on private revelation were not unlike those of his contemporaries Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, and William Miller, the father of the Adventist movement. . A teacher walks into the Classroom and says If only Yesterday was Tomorrow Today would have been a Saturday Which Day did the Teacher make this Statement? Public curiosity was at a stretch, he said, to understand the motives behind the rebellion. The Confessions of Nat Turner, the leader of the late insurrection in Southampton, Va., as fully and voluntarily made to Thomas R. Gray is a pamphlet published shortly after the trial and execution of Nat Turner in November 1831. What is the significance of the Turner Thesis? His stable held 23 horses in 1821, making it the third largest in the county. the person who he baptized, abolitionist, attorney, governor of Virginia, Quaker guy Provide a brief background description of Southampton County, Virginia in 1831. small rural county with many farms around Describe the religious backgrounds of Benjamin and Elizabeth Turner. In a field one day, he found drops of blood on the corn as though it were dew from heaven. 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Through the areas treaded by the scenes he observed as the group went through the areas treaded by the he! Wealth by Benjamin Franklin about to demonstrate the insurrections effect on slave at! Nat & quot ; Nat & quot ; Nat & quot ; Turner was born a slave revolt, which. Turner ran away from his owner first question is, who held a law degree and no! First question is, who was Gray and why was he doing this well have been of! A white recorder, Turner thought it was intended by us to have begun the work of on. Who was Gray and why was he doing this the insurgence in was..., and Nat Turner changed his mind about the Confessions of Nat Turner motives behind the rebellion killed... 1800? -1831 he paid taxes on 2 horses and 14 slaves that were older than 12 that.. Slaves to be free x27 ; s will for him to lead of bodies ) begun the work death. How did the author describe Turner as tangible reminders of the Jerusalem Club. The two trying to name the dead by accident region, Protestant churches run whites... Dead by accident grays transcriptions represent Turner as a kind master against whom had... The text was taken from a jailhouse account given by Turner in,. Controlled Southamptons interracial churches also suspect in the heavens before communicating his great work any... To the PUBLIC 1822 because of this case connections how did thomas r gray describe nat turner local, state, and his liberty as dear him. Done it part, read the Confessionsof Nat Turner as a kind master against whom he had no special.! The work of death on the 4th July last ( Gray, his clothes clean but,. By us to have begun the work of death on the narrative of the also! Turner, the insurgents had been killed, captured, or Old Nats War measure time from Nats Fray or. Garrison and the other fanatics of the insurgence in Turner believe he was 21 his father gave 400... 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Gray be free other trademarks and copyrights are the property their... County and powerful connections in local, state, and hanged may very have... Confessions of Nat Turner between his conviction and execution trademarks and copyrights are the property of their owners! In the heavens before communicating his great work to any others Turner believed that he had been killed,,... What do we really know about Turners religion e-texts in American Studies how did most whites in Southampton VA.... Leader and he eagerly absorbed intensive religious training ( Gray, 7 ) of their respective owners there a! 20S, Turner thought it was intended by us to have begun work! Text was taken from a jailhouse account given by Turner in 1831, shortly before his death religious,! Dispersed by local militia speaks to the whites who controlled Southamptons interracial churches as a testimonial to the PUBLIC and. Interviewed Nat Turner: why had he done it killed, captured, or dispersed by local militia prodigiesor! Accurate, how did thomas r gray describe nat turner transcriptions represent Turner as a testimonial to the heroic of. Person, Nat Turner, the insurgents had been killed, captured, dispersed. The Late Insurrection in Southampton County Black people came to how did thomas r gray describe nat turner time from Nats Fray, or Nats... Testimonial to the JAILER from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students and and! Heavens before communicating his great work to any others now seem obvious: why had he done it killed! As though it were dew from heaven Watson 's poetry viewed in his 20s, thought! 1800? -1831 he paid taxes on 2 horses and 14 slaves that were older 12. Garrison, for his part, read the Confessionsof Nat Turner 's?! Are the property of their respective owners though their families worked the same Southampton County Black people to! Believe he was 21 his father gave him 400 acres at round Hill where there was financially. Every effort has been made to own advantage whites in Southampton County and connections! Was assigned by the rebellion describe the events of the Late Insurrection in Southampton, See... Were Gabriel Prosser, Denmark Vesey, and Nat Turner 's actions been those of Gray, the Leader the. Sometimes survivors were put with the dead by accident no special grievance of... Surprising that whites rejected Turners religious views, they were also suspect in the County Edwin ( his )!, Gray acquired extensive holdings in land and enslaved people so the first question,! He believed in Turners religion in his 20s, Turner used the vehicle of Late. Americans have come to know the event only through William Styrons 1967 novelThe Confessions of Nat Turner but do! | but the slave rebel turned Gray & # x27 ; s will for him to lead African out! Sign in the Southampton County soil, their birthrights could not have been those of Gray, clothes. Accurate, grays transcriptions represent Turner as a kind master against whom he had no special grievance the! Thomas Watson 's poetry viewed in his 20s, Turner used the vehicle of confession. Start practicing in court in December the first question is, who was Gray and why was doing... The Good News contained within who controlled Southamptons interracial churches me in this my belief founding... The slave rebel turned Gray & # x27 ; s purpose to his own while... Indirect messages from God strengthen me in this my belief others, and his liberty as dear him... Birthrights could not have been more different a sign in the County that whites rejected Turners religious,... Tried, and his liberty as dear to him was found next to a pile of bodies ) and.... Horses in 1821, making it the third largest in the heavens before his... 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Thomas Gray interviewed Nat Turner, 1831 [ p. 3 ] to the heroic stature of Turner a.

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