Nat Turner’s Religious Background
Introduction
Even though terrorists and freedom fighters are words that one can differentiate inherently, they have been interchangeable in their use when reporting about violent revolts. This classification has persistently divided academics when it comes to the rebellion against slavery under the leadership of Nat Turner. This paper will look at the principles and beliefs that guided Nat’s actions and show their legitimacy to prove that he was a freedom fighter. Terrorists’ primary objective is to inflict fear among people and always have unacceptable elements in society due to lack of morality. On the other hand, rebels against slavery can garner social support from the slaves they are fighting Terrorists are known to bring oppression and enslavement while freedom fighters such as Nat fight for freedom. Violence can, at times, be necessary for freedom fighters if it is the only available tool that brings them closer to their primary goal. In this paper, the discussion will revolve around assessing whether Nat’s actions were purposed to attain freedom and whether their violence was justifiable.
Nat Turner’s Religious Background
Biblical teachings were Nat’s leading guide, especially the old testament, where God worked through violence in most cases. He felt that his purpose was to save people like the messiah. Nat thoroughly read and internalized the old testament and was very conversant with the ancient prophecies( Oates 2). He came to believe that God had selected him for a divine purpose. Nat claimed that God had spoken to him just like prophet Ezekiel. Him being in bondage at the age of twenty, frustrated him so much (Oates 30). His role as a preacher allowed him to travel to different parts of the country. He was, therefore, exposed to what was going on. He became aware of how black people were limited in many ways, even when free from slavery in terms of political and social rights. He claimed to have seen a fight between black and white angels and had also seen blood in heaven(Foner 446). In 1827, he chose the fellow black men that he trusted and used to meet them when praises are over. He talked of how Jesus had commissioned him and that he operated under God’s directions. He started getting them ready for a mission that he had not fully revealed(Oates 46). Nat was sure that judgment day was fast approaching with extreme droughts and forest fires frequent during those days. Nat’s religious background is partly the reason behind his violent tendencies, and he believed that oppressors should pay for their deeds as the old testament declares. Whoever used the sword was supposed to die by the sword.
Reason for Killing Children
Most of those affected by the revolt violence led by Nat were children and women. Men were not around that time as they were attending to religion matters in another region(Foner 446). Turner intended to send a clear message that slavery had to stopped at all costs even if they had to destroy all slaveholder generations to come (Roth). Slavery had been normalized and was a practice that was persistent throughout different ages. It was most likely that these children would still be slaveholders years to come. The killing of children could also have been a tactical move that was a means of ensuring that the revolt was successful. Evidence shows that Nat and his followers were very intentional with the murder of women and kids and had rationally planned for it in advance to ensure they get positive results. When finalizing their revolt plot, came to an agreement that no inhabitant would be spared until they were well capacitated with arms and resources(Gray 12). Nat was extra cautious since previous attempts by his predecessors had been unsuccessful, and therefore he was trying to make sure that any possible risk was eliminated. The rebels were aware that if children and women were left alive, there would be a risk of them alarming their neighbors. White armed neighbors would have then came to their rescue and would have overpowered the rebels. It is clear at the initial stage of the uprising that Nat’s team was not capable of defeating armed slaveholders, which is why they killed the children to minimize risks. Turner explained that they were planning to, later on, start sparing women and children once they had established a strong rebel group (Roth).
Turner’s Impact in the Fight for Freedom
Turner’s rebellion had a very significant impact, and this was positive progress in the fight for freedom. An uprising of that magnitude had not been witnessed in the past. Turner was favored by the fact that he had a small number of followers, and it was not easy for them to get discovered. Nat Turner had learned from past revolts that had failed due disclosure by slaves who were traitors. Before the militia managed to take control of the situation, Turner’s followers had increased to eighty, and about sixty white lives had been taken. Turner was later captured together with his seventeen followers, and they were to be hanged. This rebellion sparked a debate by leaders, and there were considerations to abolish slavery. Richmond newspaper indicated that the death of the rebels and the whites had led to the opening of doors that had not been opened for many years. However, this did not go far as the law was not passed due to a lack of support from eastern counties, which would be negatively affected by the legislation(Foner 447). The rebellion brought out a clear picture of the fury by the black people. The issue of slavery had been underestimated in the past. There was a general assumption that all was well and that black people were contented with the life of slavery under the white masters(Oates 119). The whites were now faced with the reality that black people could rebel against oppression. The attempted uprising showed how difficult it was for black people to emerge victorious in a place where white people outnumber them. It became clear that the best method would be to use outside forces. Although Nat’s revolt worsened the situation for the black people at that time, he had the best interests at heart. He intended to deliver his people. His action sent a message to the oppressors, and future rebels would learn from his experience to come up with better strategies, and so this can be considered as a closer step towards freedom.
Conclusion
This paper has shown ways in which Nat Turner can be seen as a freedom fighter and not a terrorist. The violence used by the rebels was unavoidable and was only used to achieve freedom from slavery. Nat turner played a significant role in the journey of freedom from slavery, and his use of violence was justifiable. The number of killings by the rebels was less than those of the black people, and so black people were still the victims in this case. Nat being a staunch Christian, made him use ideologies that he had learned. It can be concluded that even though Nat used violence, his main objective was to deliver black people and, therefore, should be considered a freedom fighter.
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Works cited
Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty!. 5th ed. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, 2017. Print.
Gray, Thomas. “Nat Turner, 1800?-1831. The Confessions Of Nat Turner, The Leader of The Late Insurrection In Southampton, Va..” Docsouth.unc.edu. N.p., 1999. Web. 2 June 2020 . <https://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/turner/turner.html>.
Oates, Stephen. The Fires Of Jubilee. New York: Harper and Row, 1976. Print.
Roth, Sarah. “Why Nat Turner And The Southampton Rebels Killed Children | History News Network.” Historynewsnetwork.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 2 June 2020 . <https://historynewsnetwork.org/article/164118>.