The Confessions of Nat Turner, America's Black Spartacus Remembered

In the late summer of 1831, Nat Turner, a slave, led area slaves in rebellion in the countryside outside of Jerusalem, Virginia. Nearly 150 blacks, most of whom knew nothing of Turner s revolt, lost their lives, and 60 whites also were killed. Turner believed that God directed his attacks, while many of his opponents viewed him to be a deluded fanatic. The mystical Turner confession is presented here in its entirety. Actual words of his sentencing judge also are repeated here, as are headlines and brief parts of area newspapers that detail the progress of the rebellion. An Afterthought written by William L. Andrews, co-editor of the Oxford Companion to African-American Literature is presented. Legendary ODETTA sings, No Mo Auction Block for Me and Can t No Grave Hold my Body Down.