Turner describes two other ways that God communicated with him. Rather than simply describing the events of the insurrection as they happened, the narrative delved deeper into Turners character. Browne points out that by assuring the reader of the texts veracity and by designating the monstrous motives that drove him to such deeds, Gray prefigures not only the narrative to follow but establishes the readers preferred stance toward it, which given the events is a negative one (Browne, 319). 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. Public curiosity was at a stretch, he said, to understand the motives behind the rebellion. The Confessions of Nat Turner, by William Styron, is a work of historical fiction that won the Pulitzer Prize in 1967. 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. Finally, when the sign appeared again late in August, Turner decided they could not wait longer. Turner was soon captured and the uprising was suppressed. > Soon, though, a group of African American writers attacked the book, accusing Styron of distorting history, of co-opting their hero, and of demeaning Turner by endowing him with love for one of his victims, a young white woman. 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. A white southerner, steeped in the history of his region . Gray attempted to provide financial assistance to his family but, in doing so, brought himself down into debt along with them. Scan this QR code to download the app now. John K. Roth. Nat Turner (18001831) 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. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Turner begins his story by describing his childhood. to Thomas R. Gray [To the Public] Thomas R. Gray: Public curiosity has tried to understand Nat Turner's motives behind his diabolical actions. Alleging to have told a story "when three or four years old" about an event that occurred before his birth in such detail that those around him were "greatly astonished," Turner states that the adults around him proclaimed he would be a "prophet, as the Lord had shewn me things that had happened before my birth" (p. 7). [12] In the end, there were 4 revised versions of the list over the course of 4 months. Turner pleads not guilty and is quickly found guilty and sentenced to death via hanging (p. 20). The Confessions of Nat Turner 1831 Reports Revisiting Rebellion Everything connected with the rebellion was wrapped in mystery, until Nat Turner the leader of the violent and savage band, was captured. 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). Last Updated on October 26, 2018, by eNotes Editorial. The Confessions of Nat Turner by Thomas R. Gray and approved by Nat himself is among Oates' chief sources. In the spring of 1831, when Turner and his co-conspirators were deciding the day for the revolt, the rebels selected Independence Day with its obvious political resonances. 100 Charlottesville, VA 22903 (434) 924-3296. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. and our In the Confessions, Nat Turner appears more a fanatic than a practical liberator. Nat Turner, by contrast, freely and voluntarily confessed his role as mastermind of the 1831 uprising and offered a detailed account of the conspiracy from the perspective of the rebel leader. The shortest and final chapter, It Is Done, echoes the words of Jesus on the cross when he utters, It is finished, shortly before his death. Analysis Of Nat Turner - 1088 Words | Bartleby 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. On November 10th, Gray registered his copyright for the Confessions, in Washington, D.C. It was intended by us to have begun the work of death on the 4th July last (Gray, 7). While he was in his 20s, Turner ran away from his owner. This week, a new re-imagining of Nat Turners story hits the big screen as Birth of a Nation opens in theaters nationwide. Thomas R. Gray was a lawyer in Southampton, Virginia, where he visited Nat Turner in jail. PDF Study questions for Confessions of Nat Turner - University of Arizona Solved Document A: The Confessions of Nat Turner (Original) - Chegg To install StudyMoose App tap As for the sincerity and truthfulness of the prisoner, Gray said he cross-examined Turner and found his statement corroborated by the confessions of other prisoners and other circumstances. Nat Turner's rebellion put an end to the white Southern myth that slaves were either contented with their lot or too servile to mount an armed revolt. 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. An eclipse of the sun in February 1831 inspired Turner to confide in four fellow enslaved men: Henry, Hark, Nelson, and Sam. Privacy Policy. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. These confessions were intended to create a powerful, yet vicious, image of Turner and his reasons for initiating such a devastating. Gray attributed the insurrection to religious enthusiasm and fanaticism of a mind warped and perverted by the influence of early impressions. That Turner was every bit the madman he appeared to be, Gray had little doubt. Styron returns here to the debate between Gray and Turner in the first chapter, where the seeming subject is the success or failure of the rebellion, but the actual subject is the struggle between belief and atheism. Each of these texts has demonstrated the power of print media to shape popular perceptions of historical fact, even as each raised critical questions of accuracy, authenticity, and community control over historical interpretations of the past. [3], In 1834, Gray stated that he had studied law in his youth, however, there is no record of him going to college or attending a law school at any point in his life. Already a member? Gray appears to portray Turner in a way intended both to ease the insurrections impact and to aid in the conviction of turner for his actions. As July 4th approached, he worried himself sick and postponed the revolt. Company Profile; Mission Statement; Vision Statement; Quality Policy; Testimonial; Valued Customers; News; Events; Career; Contact Us; Solutions. His "Confession," dictated to physician Thomas R. Gray, was taken while he was . Gray was born in 1800, the same year as Turner. Brendan Wolfe, Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, accessed 30 Oct. 2010. Archived post. He tells of being spoken to by the Holy Spirit, of seeing visions and signs in the heavensthat I was ordained for some great purpose in the hands of the Almighty. In Grays view, He is a complete fanatic, or plays his part most admirably. On November 5th, Nat Turner was tried and condemned to be executed; on November 9th, he was hanged. To do so, he had to establish that the confession was voluntary, that the transcript was accurate, and that Turner was telling the truth. Illustration (19th-century) of the discovery of Nat Turner following the failure of his rebellion, A Brief History of the Clinton Family's Chocolate-Chip Cookies. The next day he was delivered to the county sheriff and lodged in the county jail in Jerusalem (now Courtland), Virginia. Remaining consistent in the number of victims, Gray said there was 55 white people killed in each of the 4 revisions of the list. Gray grew up in a wealthy family with deep roots in Southampton County and powerful connections in local, state, and federal politics. Most slaves could not read. The leader of the deadly slave revolt had a deep Christian faith that propelled his rebellious actions. Several years later, Gray had built his own house on the property, bringing his property worth up to about $500. 2006 eNotes.com We invite you to learn more about Indians in Virginia in our Encyclopedia Virginia. 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. Although his literary output was slight, he was the dominant poetic figure in the mid-18th century and a precursor of the Romantic movement. 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. Turner had many reasons for revolting, but his most important Answers must be in-depth and comprehensive, or they will be removed. 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. Is it because Gray was a white man essentially "speaking word for word" for a man of color? The most consequential signs appeared in the months prior to the revolt. online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. how did thomas r gray describe nat turner "The Confessions of Nat Turner - Summary" Literary Essentials: Christian Fiction and Nonfiction Gray partook in a military observation of the murders committed by the participants of the rebellion. how to and when to commit this slave revolt. Local lawyer Thomas R. Gray approached Turner with a plan to take down his confessions. Turners views were clearly unacceptable to the whites who controlled Southamptons interracial churches. Turner broods about his actions, not sure whether he was carrying out the will of God or of himself in conducting the insurrection. Compares douglass' fictional story, the heroic slave, with turner's non-fiction document, which depicts black people as insane, fanatical, and barbaric. Get the latest History stories in your inbox? without attempting to make this slightest resistance" (p. 3). 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. In part, this was because at one point his vision seemed too close to the proslavery religion that most slaves rejected. In 1829, he bought his recently deceased brother's property as well as a house on the Main Street in town, which supplied him with 800 acres of real property. Thomas Gray | Encyclopedia.com Styron defended himself admirably, for he had made a close reading of the historical record and knew exactly where he was taking liberties with history, and he was supported by several historians. Early life [ edit] 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. The wording and overall structure used to describe the events may very well have been those of Gray, who held a law degree. 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. I was determined to end public curiosity and write down Nat . 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). NAT TURNER, THE LEADER OF THE LATE. According to Gray, an eclipse of the sun in February inspired Turner to confide in four fellow slaves: Henry, Hark, Nelson, and Sam. Nat Turner's Revolt (1831) - Encyclopedia Virginia Less defensible, or at least problematic, was his decision to endow Turner with a contemporary imagination. Within a week his pamphlet appeared, and it is estimated over 50,000 copies were sold in the next few months. The last date is today's Meanwhile, the book arguably is one of two American literary classics to come from the revolt, the other being The Confessions of Nat Turner, the Pulitzer Prizewinning novel by Virginia-native William Styron, published at the height of the Black Power movement in September 1967. 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. In a prefatory note To the Public, Gray spelled out his aims. 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. Styron fictionalized a historic character, Nat Turner, but nevertheless remained faithful to the known facts, most of which came from the 1831 Confessions of Nat Turner. Thomas Ruffin Gray, an enterprising white Southampton County lawyer, assumed the task of recording Turner's confessions. Styron shows that tenderness was possible between the races even under the regime of slaverya fact the historian Eugene Genovese has corroborated in his research. Gray seems to want to emphasize the power of whites following the insurrection, making a point of including the fact that "Nat's only weapon was a small light sword which he immediately surrendered, and begged that his life might be spared" (p. 3). Write to Lily Rothman at lily.rothman@time.com. Who was Thomas R. Gray? Nathanial "Nat" Turner (1800-1831) was an enslaved man who led a rebellion of enslaved people on August 21, 1831. Kenneth S. Greenberg, professor, and Chair of the History Department at Suffolk University explains in his book why Gray's pamphlet is not as reliable as one may think, cautioning readers to analyze the source with great care. Though Turner was an educated slave, the voice portrayed in the text is of someone with a more superior education. The negroes found fault, and murmurred against me, saying that if they had my sense they would not serve any master in the world.. 6.2: The Abolitionist Movement - Humanities LibreTexts Historians and literary critics subjected the pamphlet to close scrutiny and, in several provocative and pathbreaking studies, suggested radically new possibilities for interpretation. Company. How Nat Turner Explained the Slave Rebellion He Led Thomas Gray was born on Dec. 26, 1716, of middle-class parents. These critics saw Styron as usurping their history, much as white people had usurped the labor and the very lives of their ancestors. Nat Turner, 1800?-1831 You have reached your limit of free articles. Confessions of Nat Turner, The (1831) - Encyclopedia Virginia The first line, supposedly spoken by Turner reads, Sir you have asked me to give a history of the motives which induced me to undertake the late insurrection, as you call it (Gray, 5). Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. 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. Home The purpose was to carry on in words the work he had begun with a sword. 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). While he claims that these confessions were recorded with little or no variation, Grays verbose introduction addressed to the public was intended to frame Turner and as a psychotic villain that was rightfully punished for his unlawful acts against society. Turner believed that God continued to communicate with the world. Fabricant himself represented the Confessionsof Nat Turner as the work of a white Southern racist dedicated to the political, social, and economic interests of the Southern slaveocracy. He concluded that Grays pamphlet revealed a great deal more about the systematic victimization of blacks that was carried out under the guise of law and justice in early nineteenth-century Virginia than it revealed about the enigmatic figure of Nat Turner. The second date is today's Nat Turner escaped until October 30, when he was caught in the immediate vicinity, having used several hiding places over the previous 9 weeks. It should be noted, however, that Gray maintained all control over the text. PDF Nat Turner Timeline: 1831 Another interesting thing about the confessions is the speaking style Gray claims Turners confessed the events of the insurgence in. In the final list, he was able to give the names of 18 of the deceased, supplying more names than any other person had.[13]. 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? While there was a tradition of white anti-slavery in the regiononly five years before the revolt, Jonathan Lankford was kicked out of Black Creek Baptist church for refusing to give communion to slaveholdersit seems unlikely that Brantley, who was not involved in the revolt, was converted by Turners antislavery. 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. Thomas Gray | English poet | Britannica be able to describe Nat Turner. When Turner tried to join one of these churches, the church refused to baptize the religious slave who saw himself as a prophet. When the time came for Gray to interview Turner, Gray recorded his recollections of his life leading up to the rebellion, specifically, Turners experiences with reading and writing, scientific experiments, prophecies and his spiritual influence on the neighborhood slaves. Word Count: 413. A deeply religious man, he "therefore studiously avoided mixing in society, and wrapped [him]self in mystery, devoting [his] time to fasting and praying. What reasons does Gray give for publishing Nat Turner's confession? Nat Turner is convicted and sentenced to death for leading a revolt of enslaved people. 14. Some of them owned Bibles anyway, which could then serve as tangible reminders of the Good News contained within. to endure. Nat Turner on His Battle against Slavery. Don't use plagiarized sources. Styron takes the bare facts of Turners life and embellishes them with relentless and bountiful license. Nat Turner - Rebellion, Death & Facts - Biography 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. Following his discovery, capture, and arrest over two months after the revolt, Turner was interviewed in his jail cell by Thomas Ruffin Gray, a wealthy Southampton lawyer and slave owner. Why was the account of Turner's confession viewed as controversial among historians? To those who thought Turner ignorant, Gray responded: He certainly never had the advantages of education, but he can read and write, (it was taught to him by his parents,) and for natural intelligence and quickness of apprehension, is surpassed by few men I have seen., Gray disputed any suggestion that Turner acted out of base motives, that his object was to murder and rob for the purpose of obtaining money to make his escape. gray was the lawyer, he questioned him, turner answered, and gray kept a record of what was said. 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.. For as the blood of Christ had been shed on this earth, and had . For more info on your He is a complete fanatic., But, even then, some saw his fanaticism in a different context. [5] A month later, in October, the magistrates certified his qualifications as an attorney and in December they admitted him to practice in court at which point Gray resigned as justice of the peace. r/AskHistorians - Why is Thomas Ruffin Gray's "Confessions Of Nat With the help of his father, Gray acquired extensive holdings in land and enslaved people. His answer was, I do not. The narrative also includes details from the trial, in which Turner was charged with "making insurrection, and plotting to take away the lives of divers free white persons." 2020 Virginia Humanities, All Rights Reserved . Nat Turner - Spartacus Educational When he was in the woods, the Holy Spirit appeared to Turner and ordered him to return to the service of my earthly masterFor he who knoweth his Master's will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes, and thus, have I chastened you. When the slaves heard Turner quote the slaveholders favorite passage from Luke, the slaves themselves rejected Turners claims to prophesy. FAQ | 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. 12. 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. Turner claims that, as an adult, the Spirit revealed to him "the knowledge of the elements," with the promise of much more (p. 10). Terms of Use Turners reported answer: Was not Christ crucified?, The pamphlet created a powerful, enduring image of Turner narrating his own story as Gray looked on in horror: The calm, deliberate composure with which he spoke of his late deeds and intentions, the expression of his fiendlike face when excited by the enthusiasm, still bearing 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., Virginia newspapers helped to promote and publicize the Confessions of Nat Turner. He makes no attempt (as all the other insurgents who were examined did,) to exculpate himself, but frankly acknowledges his full participation in all the guilt of the transaction, he wrote. The second is the date of Patrick H. Breen teaches at Providence College. If there are two dates, the date of publication and appearance Any suggestion of a voluntary collaboration between Turner, a Black slave accused of insurrection, and Gray, a white lawyer with a keen interest in maintaining the Southern social order, struck Fabricanta practicing lawyeras naive and dangerously misleading. Magazines, Digital great uprising for it is said that God spoke to him and told him Libraries Anne later appeared in Benjamin's will as "Nancy." She may have been Nat Turner's mother. In an effort to make Turner appear more sinister, Gray described Turner as being a gloomy fanatic revolving in the recesses of his own dark, bewildered, and overwrought mind, schemes of indiscriminate massacre to the whites (Gray, 3).