by Alex Li

Created on: June 29, 2008   Last Updated: June 30, 2008

Slavery, often regarded as the "Peculiar Institution" by Caucasian southerners, played a key role in our American history. In the early 1800s, the origins of the anti-slavery movement sprouted into three separate key rebellions headed by Gabriel Prosser, Denmark Vesey, and Nat Turner. The resistance towards slavery during this period was brewing; defiance and insubordination quickly spread throughout each household occupied by slaves, which impacted their everyday behaviors. After uprisings and objections against slavery, individuals such as Frederick Douglas and William Lloyd Garrison played significant roles in denouncing slavery.

There were three major rebellious slavery movements that sparked in the early 19th century. In 1800, Gabriel Prosser gathered one thousand rebellious slaves outside of Richmond, Virginia in an attempt to start a revolution against the southerners. However, two African Americans inadvertently revealed the plot and the Virginia militia quickly dismembered the rebellions. Prosser, along with thirty-five others were executed because of their jeopardizing stunt. In 1822, the free black slave Denmark Vesey from Charleston prepared for a revolt along with his followers. His 9,000 followers anxiously arranged for attack. However, the conspiracy was given away and suppression and retribution followed. Finally and most importantly were the mutinous activities during Nat Turners rebellion in 1831. Nat Turner, a slave preacher, led a posse of African Americans armed with firearms and weaponry into several Southampton Country houses and killed sixty white men, women, and children until being overpowered by state and federal officials. As a result, over a hundred blacks were executed in this horrific aftermath. Nat Turner's rebellion was by far the most effective of all three uprisings; conversely fear of renewed slave conspiracies and violence permeated the section as long as slavery lasted.

The three key rebellions during the anti-slavery movement succeeded in delivering a strong message on the issue of slavery, but failed to pull away from their masters. Even though these three rebellions did not end slavery, black slaves established a new method to revote against their masters. Slaves' refusal to work hard, perform tasks improperly and perform isolated acts of sabotage, (i.e. losing or breaking tools) characterized many slaves' everyday behavior.

Frederick Douglas, a great African-American abolitionist and one of the most electrifying orators

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