Nat Turner Rebellion
The Nat Turner rebellion caused a great uproar in Virginia. The aftermath of the movement actually moved some in Virginia to push the ideas of gradual emancipation. With the intensity of the slavery issue at the time, this rebellion had the effect of causing a chain reaction in the Virginian society.
The initial reaction of the white population after the rebellion is rather complicated. One thing to note is the power of rumors and their destructive influence. People in Virginia started going crazy, as these rumors incited mass hysteria. Whites in Virginia mobilized towards Southampton county, numbering roughly three thousand units. With an overall sense of panic, and increasingly terrorizing rumors, it is no wonder that there were so many atrocities done to the black population. Militia came into the area with preconceived ideas as to the extent of the rebellion, and with it they just started killing random blacks. In a hypocritical way, whites mutilated the bodies of their victims. Whites decapitated approximately fifteen supposed rebels in Murfreesboro with the heads placed on poles for everyone to see. What could cause people to see this as a good idea? It is fascinating that the incoming militia had the capacity to mirror the crimes that they were there to prevent. In the very area in which Nat Turner's rebels murdered the Vaughn family, the head of a murdered black man was put on display. This reaction shows the deep hatred that some white men had for slaves.
This aimless killing obviously could not continue for long, as peoples started to realize that their property was being destroyed. Monetary compensation was only given if a slave was executed under the law. Since slavers were a key economic asset, it was only appropriate that the suspected rebels should be tried in a court. With the death sentence being issued by a judge, the slave owner could be compensated, and the blood lust could be sated. Shifting toward a more appropriate action, the death
The initial reaction of the white population after the rebellion is rather complicated. One thing to note is the power of rumors and their destructive influence. People in Virginia started going crazy, as these rumors incited mass hysteria. Whites in Virginia mobilized towards Southampton county, numbering roughly three thousand units. With an overall sense of panic, and increasingly terrorizing rumors, it is no wonder that there were so many atrocities done to the black population. Militia came into the area with preconceived ideas as to the extent of the rebellion, and with it they just started killing random blacks. In a hypocritical way, whites mutilated the bodies of their victims. Whites decapitated approximately fifteen supposed rebels in Murfreesboro with the heads placed on poles for everyone to see. What could cause people to see this as a good idea? It is fascinating that the incoming militia had the capacity to mirror the crimes that they were there to prevent. In the very area in which Nat Turner's rebels murdered the Vaughn family, the head of a murdered black man was put on display. This reaction shows the deep hatred that some white men had for slaves.
This aimless killing obviously could not continue for long, as peoples started to realize that their property was being destroyed. Monetary compensation was only given if a slave was executed under the law. Since slavers were a key economic asset, it was only appropriate that the suspected rebels should be tried in a court. With the death sentence being issued by a judge, the slave owner could be compensated, and the blood lust could be sated. Shifting toward a more appropriate action, the death