Ch 11 Nat Turner Document Analysis.notebook

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Nat Turner: Hero or Madman?

ES: Analyze information from more than one point of view

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Facts about Nat Turner

• Lives in Southampton County, VA on a farm as a slave• He was literate, extremely intelligent and deeply religious –

he devoted his spare time to fasting and praying• Saw himself as a prophet/preacher

Ch 11 Nat Turner Document Analysis.notebook

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Three Visions

• He had multiple “visions” that inspired him to plan his rebellion:

• 1. Drops of blood on corn ­

• 2. Hieroglyphic characters and numbers on leaves

• 3. Christ visits him and tells him to slay the serpent with “their own weapons”

• There was an eclipse of the sun and that started Turner’s planning. • Originally supposed to occur on July 4th, but he was sick – August 22th• On August 13 there was an atmospheric disturbance and the sun

appeared blue/green

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Order of Events• On August 22 Nat and about 40 other slaves killed his master, the

Travis household, then marched to the local town.

• They killed 55 people in total

• In retaliation, white mobs killed 200 slaves.

• Nat Turner was captured, tried, and hanged then skinned on November 11

• The Virginia government comes very close to banning slavery, but does not. Instead they enact stricter laws.

Ch 11 Nat Turner Document Analysis.notebook

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Inquiry Question: Was Nat Turner a hero or a madman? How do we know what source to trust?

1. Read the timeline2. Read & annotate documents A­C & answer the questions.

A – “The Confessions of Nat Turner” (1831)

B – “The Southampton Tragedy” (1831)

C – “An Address to the Slaves of the U.S.” (1843)

Mar 17­8:06 AM

The Confessions of Nat Turner

Thomas Gray

Nov 5, 1831

transcript of conversation

Ch 11 Nat Turner Document Analysis.notebook

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Source

Transcript based on aconversation

Timeline: Nov. 1831

presentTurner's truth

Hero → Destiny to fulfill

Lunaticevil

Opinion Not FACT

opposition to Turner

opinion of TurnerTurner's

 view of self

public opinion

High opinion ofhimself

Mar 17­8:07 AM

The Southampton Tragedy

Editor of the Richmond Enquirer

VA: Sept 27, 1831

Newspaper editorial

Ch 11 Nat Turner Document Analysis.notebook

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NEWSPAPERAudience:white

slaveholdersTimeline Turner still loose

hiding

Turner is a fraudmanipulative

Con­Artist

misleading

Between uprising & capture

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An Address to the Slaves of the U.S.

Henry Highland Garnet

Buffalo, NY: 1843

Excerpt from a Speech

Ch 11 Nat Turner Document Analysis.notebook

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Audience: anti­slavery

end of Underground Railroad

Timeline: 10+ years after Nat Turner

LIFEfor

slavesis at itsworst

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Questions for Analysis

• Was Nat Turner a hero or a madman? What is your evidence?

• What other evidence would you like to have to inform your decision?

• Why do the characterizations in Documents A­C differ?

• Which do you think is the most trustworthy?

• How does the passage of time affect how people viewed Turner?

• How do you think most people today would characterize Turner? Can you think of any comparisons?