"The Confessions of Nat Turner" 1832.Turner, Nat:

(1800-1831) Nat Turner was an African American slave in South Hampton, Virginia. He was the leader of one of the most successful slave rebellions in America. Turner was a very religious man and believed that God spoke to him through signs. Along with four other slaves, Turner began to plan a rebellion to take over the plantation and free themselves while getting others to join on the way. From the beginning to the end of the rebellion over forty whites were killed. White forces broke up the rebellion with force and retaliation. Nat Turner escaped from and was in hiding for 10 weeks. He was then captured, tried, convicted, and executed for the rebellion. After his death, his skin and bones were turned into purses and trophies and were passed down through generations of southern families.

Sources: Horton, James Oliver, and Lois E. Horton. Slavery and the Making of America. New York: Oxford, 2006. 112-115.