Joseph Cephas Carroll

Slave Insurrections in the United States, 1800-1865

Joseph Cephas Carroll

Accounts of slave uprisings have been a largely neglected phase of American history. News of such events was consistently suppressed in earlier times by masters for fear this information might inspire other slaves to revolt. Sources documenting such events were scarce; locating them and obtaining access to them were tremendous tasks. This objective and fully documented work describes early insurrectionary movements, rebellions at sea, and the Negro's role in the American Revolution. Also discussed in detail are a number of notable uprisings, among them Gabriel Prosser's unsuccessful revolt in 1800; Denmark Vesey's insurrection in 1822; and Nat Turner's rebellion in 1831. Profiles of black leaders and white sympathizers are also recounted, as are insurgencies that occurred during the Civil War.