• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / History / How did Slaves Revolt during the American Colonial Period?

How did Slaves Revolt during the American Colonial Period?

April 2, 2020 by Karen Hill

In 1800, inspired partly by the biblical story of Moses leading the Israelites out of bondage, Virginia slave Gabriel Prosser planned to attack and seize parts of the city of Richmond, killing as many whites as possible in the process.

He spread word of his plan to over one thousand slaves; they gathered, only to break up during a rainstorm. Three slaves had told their masters of the plot, and troops captured at least three dozen plotters. Prosser hid for a month, but finally was captured. All were tried and hanged.

1822: Denmark Vesey, a carpenter who had bought his freedom in 1800 with money from a winning lottery ticket, hated slavery and made speeches and sermons against it. In Charleston, South Carolina, more than 9,000 slaves and free blacks were attracted to Vesey’s plot to “liberate” the city. Several slaves betrayed the plot, and Vesey and some of his comrades were arrested and hanged.

1831: Nat Turner, a Virginia slave and preacher, planned the most famous slave revolt in American history. He began with just six slaves, who went to the plantation of Turner’s master on August 22 and killed the entire family By the next morning, the group, now numbering sixty, had traveled through the county, killing at least fifty-seven white men, women, and children.

Police and the military captured or killed many of the rebels, but Turner escaped arrest until October 30, when he was captured and hanged.

Related Facts

  • How did slaves in Colonial America protest slavery in the 1700s?
  • Which Explorers First Explored the Continents of the World?
  • What was the European Age of Exploration?
  • How did slaves protest their conditions during the American Colonial Period?
  • What kind of work did slaves do in Colonial America?
  • How did slaves during the American Colonial Period adapt to American culture?

Filed Under: History

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Which black abolitionists were part of the abolitionist movement in America in the 1700s?
Next Post: How did slaves in Colonial America protest slavery in the 1700s? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2020 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy