-
Gloucester County Conspiracy
9 slaves met in the woods to plan an uprising against the local governor and declare force their freedom. One of the slaves sold them out and was rewarded. Most slaves were arrested and four were hanged. This is one of the earlier examples of slave rebellions in the soon-to-be U.S. -
Stono Rebellion
Approximately 60 slaves raided a firearms shop and began to head for St. Augustine, FL for freedom, which the Spanish were offering. The owners and other whites set out to put down the rebellion, and by dusk, 50% had been killed while the other 50% had gained freedom for the time being. Most of the free slaves were re-captured and eventually executed. -
New York Slave Conspiracy
10 fires had ravaged New York City between the months of March and April. It was concluded that the fires were the work of black arsonists. About 100 slaves were brought into the courthouse basement on charges of arson, burglary, and insurrection. 13 were burned at the stake and 70 were sold into Caribbean labor. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
Nat Turner and 70 other slaves rise up against their master and other slave owners, during the night. They killed around 50 other slave owners and took a full militia to put down. Nat and 50 other slaves were arrested and eventually executed. -
John Brown's Raid
John Brown and some co-conspirators free nearly 500 slaves and start a rebellion at Harpers Ferry. Local militia forces responded and killed Brown and the other conspirators. It was seen as the "Dress Rehersal to the Civil War" -
Summary
All of these events, with the exception of John Brown, increased the white suspicion of slaves. If they were willing to rise up, they may be able to overpower their owners. John Brown and his plan simply set the stage for the Civil War, placing white against white instead of white against black. -
Works Cited Pt. 1
Breen, Patrick. "Nat Turner's Rebellion." Bill of Rights Institute, https://billofrightsinstitute.org/essays/nat-turners-rebellion. Accessed 8 Dec 2022.
"John Brown's Raid." National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/articles/john-browns-raid.html. Accessed 8 Dec 2022.
Sutherland, Claudia. "New York Slave Conspiracy (1741)." Black History, https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/new-york-slave-conspiracy-1741/. Accessed 8 Dec 2022. -
Works Cited Pt. 2
Momodu, Samuel. "Gloucester County Conspiracy (1663)." Black History, https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/gloucester-county-conspiracy-1663/. Accessed 7 Dec 2022.
Sutherland, Claudia. "Stono Rebellion (1739)." Black History, https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/stono-rebellion-1739/. Accessed 8 Dec 2022.