ON THIS DAY IN UNITED STATES HISTORY
August 21, 1831
American Slave Nat Turner Leads a Rebellion
Resulting in the Death of 55 White Civilians
On this day in 1831, Nat Turner, after gathering supporters in Southampton County, Virginia, lead a group of
more than 50 black slaves and free blacks in a rebellion.
Beginning on the next day (August 22nd), the group started with Nat Turner's master, then went from house to house,
freeing slaves and killing the white people they found along the way. Before they were stopped by a white militia,
they had killed at least 55 white men, women, and children.
The rebellion was stopped within a couple of days but Nat was not captured until October 30th of that year. He was
tried and convicted, and then hanged on November 11 in what is now known as Courtland, Virginia. Several hundred
other African-Americans were also killed in retaliation.
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