Analysis: Children of Darkness

Analysis: Children of Darkness

Nat Turner's belief that he was a mystic, born for some great purpose; a spiritual savior, chosen to lead Black slaves to freedom, justified his bloody rebellion against slave owners in Virginia. His actions did not so much spring from the fact that members of his family had been beaten, separated or sold, but rather from his own deep sense of freedom spoken in the Bible. From the time Nat Turner was four-years-old, he had been recognized as intelligent, able to understand beyond his years. He continued to search for religious truth and began to have visions or signs of being called by God. By the time Nat Turner reached manhood, the path his life would take was clear; his destiny would be to bring his fellow slaves out of bondage.

Nat Turner was born to a life of slavery in Southampton County, Virginia, in 1800. The state of Virginia had some diverse reactions toward slavery. Stephen B. Oates writes in his article "Children of Darkness" that "By southern white standards, enlightened benevolence did exist in Southampton County- and it existed in the rest of the state, too" (Oates, "Children" 42). There were some schools established for slave children, and religious meetings were openly allowed. Governor John Floyd was against the institution of slavery. The Fires of Jubilee, a book describing Turner's rebellion, explains his feelings on the subject. "He wanted slavery to be gradually abolished in Virginia and all the blacks colonized somewhere else, leaving the Old Dominion an unadulterated white man's paradise" (Oates, Fires 64). The unrest among slaves in Virginia was more evident than in the deep South because they had been given a small taste of freedom through activities like school and religion, but no sign that slavery would be abolished appeared. Instead, the economy of Virginia was the most important discussion in every session of the legislature. According to Boorstin and Kelley's History of the United States, "Blacks in some southern states outnumbered the whites, and there was no way for state leaders to handle this situation except by keeping the blacks in slavery" (Boorstin and Kelley 194). Nat Turner would grow up with a sense of frustration, not being able to see the end to the terrible injustice of slavery.

The fact that young Nat Turner was not like other young slaves was fostered by his parents. The family lived and worked on the Turner farm. Slaves owned by the Turners had to work hard because the farm was not one of the big, wealthy plantations, and some years did not show much profit for the land owner. According to Terry Bisson's book on Nat Turner, Nat's family, especially his mother and grandmother, were determined to keep his mind from being enslaved whether or not he was physically a slave. (Bisson 16). They saw to it that young Nat had time to read the Bible and encouraged him in his ambitions. They often examined his body to see if a mark or sign could be found which would single him out as a prophet.

Nat Turner's father ran away from the farm when Nat was nine, an event which made a big impression on the young slave. This example of courage stayed with Nat, and made his determination to help his people even stronger. He was beginning to realize that, like his father's dream, freedom would have to be his ultimate goal. He even ran away from the Turner farm and was not caught. The slaves celebrated for him as their hope for freedom. But after two weeks of hiding, Nat returned to the Turner farm. Nat Turner believed that he was born to greatness, and he was beginning to understand what had to be done to fulfill his vision. By the time he was twenty years old, the role of prophet was clear. Bisson's book describes Turner's vision of the spirit. "Nat later wrote in his Confessions that while he was in hiding, "the Spirit" had appeared and chastised him for having his wishes directed to the things of this world and not to the kingdom of heaven (Bisson 47). His destiny was not his own freedom, but the freedom of his people.

Religion was a big part of every slave's life, and Nat Turner began to develop a reputation as a Baptist preacher. It is important to note, however, that even though he was a Christian, he "took less to the New Testament and forgiveness and more to the stern righteousness, blood, and thunder of the Old Testament" (Bisson 38). Nat Turner could identify with Moses, the prophet, who listened to God speak of the Egyptians, "I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers..." (New American Bible, Exodus 3:4). Turner believed he was called to lead the black enslaved people to freedom. Like Moses, Nat Turner searched for signs from God. Moses' staff became a serpent, and Turner heard voices in the darkened sky. It was in the Old Testament that Turner could find justification for his plans to seek revenge on the slave masters in Virginia. There was also some witchcraft mixed into the slaves' religious beliefs, and the old African traditions of gods and rituals had an influence on Turner's preaching. He could stir up feelings of rebellion within a group of slaves while actually preaching his religion. "Christianity and freedom became tied together in his mind" (Bisson 38).

In 1822 Nat Turner was moved from the Turner farm to a farm owned by Thomas Moore. He was separated from his wife and children but was grateful that they were bought by a master in a nearby farm. His mother remained on the Turner place to care for the elderly Mrs. Turner. On the Moore farm, Nat continued his preaching and, at the same time, began to plan his rebellion. Many times Turner claimed he saw visions of rebellion such as figures drawn in blood on the leaves in the field. He said that the blood represented "the Blood of the Savior." Herbert Aptheker in his book on the American slave gives