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Nat Turner Facts & Worksheets

Nathanial "Nat" Turner, an enslaved African American, organized an uprising on August 21, 1831 to protest harsh slave laws. It sparked a massacre that killed around 200 black people.

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On August 21, 1831, Nathanial “Nat” Turner, an enslaved African American, organized an uprising. His conduct sparked a massacre that killed up to 200 black people and resulted in a new wave of harsh laws that forbade enslaved people from gathering, moving, or attending school. The insurrection also strengthened anti-abolitionist, pro-slavery beliefs that lingered there until the American Civil War.

Facts & Information

Childhood & Early Life

  • Turner was born on Benjamin Turner’s property on October 2, 1800, in Southampton County, Virginia. Nancy was his mother’s name, but nothing is known about his father. Benjamin Turner’s enslaver permitted him to get instruction in reading, writing, and religion. 
  • Nat was an exceptionally bright youngster who started reading at a young age. In addition to giving him a Bible, his enslaver Benjamin Turner pushed him to pursue literature. Because Nat had admitted in his confession that he spent a lot of time reading books purchased for white youngsters, it is probable that he also provided little Nat with additional books.
  • Young Nat was a devout Christian who was frequently spotted praying and reading the Bible. He often fasted as well. He was almost never seen with other kids and instead liked to be alone.
  • In 1810, Benjamin Turner perished. Samuel, his brother, took over ownership of Nat. Another source, however, claims Samuel to be Benjamin’s oldest child. He bought a second property with 360 acres of land just two miles from the first house. Nat, his mother Nancy, and his grandmother Old Bridget were lent to him to start a new plantation there. When Benjamin passed away in 1810, the agreement was made to last forever.
  • Until Samuel Turner passed away in 1822, Nat Turner remained with him. He is thought to have wed Cherry, an enslaved woman, at this time, however, there is no proof of this. 
  • The nation’s legislation did not permit marriages between enslaved people; therefore, they were neither sacred from a legal nor religious standpoint.
  • The enslaved people in ancient Rome who were forced to labor in the mines had the toughest life. They had to work in hot, confined spaces for extended periods of time underground. The mines were also dangerous, and enslaved people frequently perished in mishaps.
  • Nat Turner, then 22 years old, fled but later came back on his own to work for his former enslaver. Perhaps there were other attractions. When Samuel passed away, his assets were liquidated; Nat Turner was sold to Thomas Moore for $400 and Cherry was sold to another plantation owner, Giles Reese. 
  • Nat was even more resentful because of this forced separation from his loved ones. He subsequently began to spend more time praying and fasting in an effort to find consolation in religion.
  •  In 1825, Turner experienced his first significant vision. He was persuaded by the vision that he had been chosen to effect change. Soon after, he started planning religious services at Barnes’ Church, which is close to the North Carolina border.
  • He was given heavenly instructions to get revenge for slavery and free his fellow enslaved people. The following vision for Tuner came on May 12, 1828. Later on, he recalled, “The Spirit immediately manifested itself to me when I heard a great commotion in the skies.” The “moment was soon approaching” when “the first should be last and the last should be first,” Turner was then urged to accept the “yoke” of Christ. He was also cautioned not to say anything to his family and friends or take any action until he received a new sign. Instead, he was told to carry on as usual.
  • A few months after this occurrence, Thomas Moore, his enslaver, passed away. Although his young son Putnam took over as Nat’s new enslaver, the enslaved people were soon discovered by Joseph Travis, the man Mrs. Moore subsequently wed.

The Rebellion

  • Nat Turner was certain that the moment for action was now at the beginning of 1831, but he patiently awaited a heavenly sign. He confided in four close friends, Hark Travis, Henry Porter, Sam Francis, and Nelson Williams, as he started to make preparations.
  • A total solar eclipse was seen in Virginia on February 11, 1931, and Nat Turner saw this as a sign to launch the uprising. They originally planned to strike on July 4, but Nat became sick, so they had to postpone it.
  • Virginia had a second solar eclipse on August 13, 1931. The atmosphere made the sun appear blue-green. Nat, however, saw it as a heavenly sign and decided it was time to launch an assault.
  • The revolt started on August 21, 1831. Other accounts state that the date is August 22. It was 2 in the evening. Approximately 70 black volunteers were given hatchets, axes, and knives and had no firearms. At first, the rebels attacked and killed every Travis family member. After killing the white residents and freeing the enslaved people on nearby estates, they marched. In one night, 55 to 60 people were killed in all.
  • As they got closer to the Virginia town of Jerusalem, they encountered their first opposition from a group of white militia. The rebels initially held the upper hand, but when three companies of reinforcing artillery arrived, the insurgents were forced to disperse and flee. Only twenty of the rebels were still at his position the following morning.
  • Turner’s uprising was doomed from the start due to the followers’ lack of discipline and the fact that only 75 black people supported him. Nat Turner then attempted to encourage enslaved people from other plantations to join him, but they decided to side with their enslavers after realizing that the rebels would never succeed. Nat’s army was dispersed and routed very quickly. Before being found by a white hunter, Nat himself went into hiding in the Dismal Swamp region and remained there for a month.
  • By that point, most of his friends had been found and slain. Around 200 Enslaved Africans were also slaughtered by the white militia, many of whom had nothing to do with the uprising. Furthermore, strict regulations that further restricted black liberties were passed.

Capture, Execution & Legacy

  • Nat Turner is remembered in history as a thirty-year-old enslaved person from Virginia who led a deadly uprising that claimed the lives of fifty-five white people, chiefly women, and children. Beyond that, he is renowned for being almost unknown. 
  • Nat Turner dispelled the white Southern idea that enslaved people were content with their lot in life or were too submissive to mount a violent uprising. His uprising cemented Southern whites’ support for slavery and resulted in additional harsh legislation that forbade the education, travel, and gathering of enslaved people.
  • In the end, Turner was apprehended on October 30, 1831. Turner’s confession was recorded by Turner’s attorney, Thomas R. Gray, who was representing him. 
  • Turner entered a not-guilty plea during his trial because he thought God was behind his rebellion. On November 11, 1831, the hanging portion of his death sentence was carried out. Many of his accomplices had the same outcome.
  • Little is known about how many enslaved people Nat Turner freed. Turner was one of the 56 more enslaved individuals eventually hanged by the Commonwealth of Virginia for their alleged involvement in the uprising, along with many other black people who had not taken part.
  • The tragedy made Southerners fearful, stopping the region’s organized emancipation campaign. Instead, the enslaved people were subject to even harsher legislation passed by Southern governments. 
  • The abolitionist movement in the North gained momentum as a result of Turner’s activities. Even well-known abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, who was somewhat in favor of Turner, issued an editorial in his publication The Liberator.
  • One of the most complex figures in both American literature and history is largely acknowledged to be Nat Turner. He was the mastermind of one of the most well-known slave uprisings in American history, and the month of October honors both his birth and his incarceration.
  • Nat Turner’s was one of the most brutal and effective uprisings. The Civil War is believed to have started sooner as a result of the fear it caused in Virginia and elsewhere in the South.
  • The Confederate military is still remembered with memorials in Courtland today, and its battle flag is still seen flying throughout the South. There is a plaque stating that the rebellion took place, but those who consider Nat Turner to be a hero believe that just as the Confederate memorials serve to benefit the descendants of southern soldiers, it is only right that the descendants of the enslaved people have a place to honor individuals like Nat Turner who gave their lives to fight for their freedom.

Nat Turner Worksheets

This bundle contains 10 ready-to-use Nat Turner Worksheets that are perfect for students who want to learn more about Nat Turner, who was an African-American slave born in Southampton County, Virginia. He led the most famous slave rebellion against the white slave owners in 1831.

Download includes the following worksheets:

  • Nat Turner Facts
  • The Confessor
  • Famous Abolitionist
  • Slavery Resistance
  • Looking for Signs
  • History in Review
  • True or False
  • Heroes of History
  • Black Lives Matter
  • Picture This

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Nat Turner and why was he so important?

Nat Turner is remembered in history as a thirty-year-old enslaved person from Virginia who led a deadly uprising that claimed the lives of fifty-five white people, chiefly women and children. Beyond that, he is renowned for being almost unknown.

What happened to Nat Turner?

In the end, Turner was apprehended on October 30, 1831. Turner’s confession was recorded by Turner’s attorney, Thomas R. Gray, who was representing him. Turner entered a not-guilty plea during his trial because he thought God was behind his rebellion. On November 11, 1831, the hanging portion of his death sentence was carried out. Many of his accomplices had the same outcome.

Why is Nat Turner’s rebellion so important?

Nat Turner dispelled the white Southern idea that enslaved people were content with their lot in life or were too submissive to mount a violent uprising. His uprising cemented Southern whites’ support for slavery and resulted in additional harsh legislation that forbade the education, travel, and gathering of enslaved people.

Why did Nat Turner lead a revolt against slavery?

He was given heavenly instructions to get revenge for slavery and free his fellow enslaved people. The following vision for Tuner came on May 12, 1828. Later on, he recalled, “The Spirit immediately manifested itself to me when I heard a great commotion in the skies.” The “moment was soon approaching” when “the first should be last and the last should be first,” Turner was then urged to accept the “yoke” of Christ. 

Why did Nat Turner’s rebellion fail?

Turner’s uprising was doomed from the start due to the followers’ lack of discipline and the fact that only 75 black people supported him. Nat Turner then attempted to encourage enslaved people from other plantations to join him, but they decided to side with their enslavers after realizing that the rebels would never succeed. 

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