The Confessions of Nat Turner

Nat Turner's rebellion of slaves and free blacks in Southampton County, Virginia in 1831 marked a turning point in the struggle for the ending of slavery in America. After being tried and convicted of insurrection, Turner's confession and jailhouse statements were published by Thomas Ruffin Gray. This work is considered the primary historical document regarding Nat Turner, though some historians believe Gray's transcription contains inaccuracies which compromises its value as such.

Nat Turner was an enslaved black man who led a rebellion of slaves and free blacks in Southampton County, Virginia in 1831. This event was a watershed moment in the movement to abolish slavery. Turner's confesssions, transcribed in jail by Thomas Gray constitute the primary historical document regarding Nat Turner.