Gregory P. Downs (Professor of History, University of California, Davis)

February 24, 2026

Advisor(s): Dorcas Gyekye and Keisha Rembert, NHC Teacher Advisory Council

This webinar examines the fascinating yet challenging contents of The Confessions of Nat Turner, the published account of Turner’s religious visions and prophetic drive, which he described to a local, white lawyer while he awaited execution for leading one of the two largest rebellions of enslaved people in US history. The document presents challenges because we have no way of knowing the lawyer’s accuracy or integrity in preserving Turner’s account of events. Additionally, Turner’s religiously-charged vocabulary and motivations resist interpretations that align him with other revolutionaries of his time.

In this webinar, participants can expect to learn more about the methods required to teach with this document to both help students understand the deeply religious context of the post-Second Great Awakening American South, the way that religious conversion shaped the lives of both enslaved people and their enslavers, and how historical context informs methods of interpretation.

Subjects

History / Education Studies / Slavery / Rebellions / Prophecy /

Rights

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Images, PDFs, downloads, and other media are provided under the NHC Principles on Copyright, Fair Use, and Open Licensing. Visit the Principles webpage for more information on how you can use this resource.