Nat Turner, an enslaved black man, believed he was chosen by God to
battle against the evils of slavery. Driven by visions, Turner banded
with six others, and on August 22, 1831, his rebellion began with
attacks at plantations in Southampton, Virginia. As he and his group
moved from plantation to plantation, dozens of enslaved men joined them.
Finally, the local militia put an end to their movement, arresting and
hanging many of the men involved. Nat Turner's rebellion deepened the
divide between Americans who wanted to abolish slavery and those who
wanted to protect it, setting the groundwork for the American Civil War.