Con’g Knos

luence and prosperity, stripping them of their freedom.

The purpose of this book was to help us understand the abusive way one group of people were treated and their reaction to their plight. Stephen Oates account of the slave rebellion in Southhampton, Virginia helped us to effectively become familiar with the reasons why Nat Turner felt an uprising was just and necessary. The slaves were beaten, shackled, and chained; some were even hanged. The disgusting conditions Blacks were forced to live in, the way the slave owners treated the slaves, and the hopelessness the slaves felt, led Nat Turner to conclude that the slaves had no other choice but to take matters into their own hands. Thus, the beginning of Nat Turner’s fierce Rebellion.

Let us briefly summarize the book, The Fires of Jubilee. This book is the story of the slave revolt that took place in Southhampton, Virginia in 1831. Stephen Oates carries us to Southhampton and into the mind of one of the most famous slaves, Nat Turner, who led the slaves to revolt.

The book is divided into several sections. Section 1 is “The Infernal Spirit of Slavery.” In this section of the book, Oates gave us some background information on the beginning of slavery. In this section he tells us:

1. When the slaves were brought to America

2. The type of people who felt the need for slaves

3. The price the slave owners paid for their slaves

4. The more slaves the masters owned, the more prosperous they were

5. How Nat was shaping his mind weeks at a time by praying while he plowed

6. How Whites told Blacks that slavery was God’s desire for them.

The whites made the slaves believe that if they were not submissive to their masters, God would severely punish tem for their disobedience. Maybe if the slave masters had really interpreted the scriptures for the slaves, rather than distorting their meaning, Nat would have interpreted his visions in a manner that would have resulted in much less bloodshed and a much more positive outcome for both sides.

Part two of the book is “Go Sound the Jubilee,” which tells how Nat Turner viewed religion. Oates tells us that Nat believed that God gave him a spiritual understanding of the scriptures so that he could carry out God’s wishes for the slaves. Over the years, Nat would flood his mind with these visions. He convinced himself that he is the “Chosen One.” As time passed, these images distorted Nat’s mind and his ability to be rational. These delusions could very well be speculated as a result of the harsh conditions forced upon Nat Turner to live and work in. They could very well have driven him to the brink of insanity.

Part three is “Judgment Day.” This is the most revealing part of the book. In