Talk:Nat Turner

Starting this Biographical Page Again

This page was merged with the page, on the rebellion despite a lack of consensus and due to what I see as a misinterpretation of Wikipedia rules. Nat Turner is a very notable historical figure who served as a key influence on the anti-slavery movement in the US. There have been many other pages for less notable figures, and many pages created for rebellion leaders. This principle seems to apply: "If the event is highly significant, and the individual's role within it is a large one, a separate article is generally appropriate. The assassins of major political leaders, such as Gavrilo Princip, fit into this category, as indicated by the large coverage of the event in reliable sources that devotes significant attention to the individual's role."

For that matter, it is debatable how much any individual can be reduced to a single event; some sources note that Nat Turner's preaching to enslaved people occurred over the course of a decade, and his subsequent influence inspired many abolitionists/anti-slavery rebels for decades after. He continues to be a person of great interest within academia and popular culture. There's a reason various books, movies, and other encyclopedia articles focus on the man himself and not only the uprising in general. There is space for both.

I have only gotten the article started again; editing and writing will be required to bring this back (perhaps borrowing content from previous iterations of the article). LouMichel (talk) 18:12, 19 February 2024 (UTC)

I have moved/merged the appropriate text from Nat Turner's slave rebellion. I made edit comments as required for copyright; although chunks were my work so there will probably not be any issues. Note that, as with the other article, the Black and White races are referred to with capital letters; this was the style adopted by other editors and I see no reason to make a change. This article will still need some work but is more appropriate now, given the importance of the subject. @LouMichel, thanks for adopting the "boldly go" approach and restarting this article. Be aware, that the former article was subject to regular vandalism, so we may need to keep watch over edits here as well. Rublamb (talk) 04:58, 21 February 2024 (UTC)

Thank you; your work here is much appreciated! And thanks for putting up with my "boldly go" approach. Thoughtful editors like you are an essential part of what makes Wikipedia such a great resource. LouMichel (talk) 03:44, 22 February 2024 (UTC)

Content to add

Here are some suggestions of items to include:

• There is a story about a severe beating that Turner received as a child, resulting in the scar that is described in the article. This caused Turner to have horrible headaches and lighter work assignments. The source needs to be tracked down so this can be included. It might be in Grey.
• I recall an illustration of Turner's head that showed the scar. It would be better than the 1880s illustration currently used in the infobox.
•  Done Turner was known to baptize converts, including a famous instance of baptizing a white man. The article mentions the man, but not his baptism. Sources needed so this can be included
• It might be helpful to add more about Grey's book, maybe under the legacy section or in its own section. It is the most detailed account from the time but was challenged at the time for it tone (ie educated whiteness) that Grey gave Turner. Grey's work has also been questioned by modern scholars.
• There are more items to add to pop culture
• Does someone live in Richmond who can take a photo of the monument? Any other images such as parks or streets?
• Another early biographical piece was in Harpers around 1860 or 1861. I am pretty sure it would had some biographical details that were not in Grey such as Turner's marriage. This was a Northern piece so will be different from earlier Southern writings.
• There is potential for a section on the evolution of Turner from a "rebel" into a hero. The scholar's response to Styron would be one source. But there are many out there. Probably the first biography for children about Turner was the Coretta Scott King Black history series that came out in the mid-1980s. I was loath to include that under pop culture.

Rublamb (talk) 05:26, 21 February 2024 (UTC)

"This caused Turner to have horrible headaches" The underlying cause may have been a head injury, which is not an uncommon result of physical assaults. But we would need a source about that. The typical symptoms of concussions include headaches. Dimadick (talk) 10:52, 21 February 2024 (UTC)

Exactly. I included this in a paper in the early 1980s, so sources do exist. Interesting point: this injury has been used to explain Turner's visions, implying some sort of brain damage. At the time, it was also used to explain why he was "different" or rebellious. Today, it can be interpreted as physical trauma caused by the brutality of slavery and also counters the stories of his "kind" masters. I suspect some of the newer books may address this last point. Rublamb (talk) 14:07, 21 February 2024 (UTC)

Style decisions

This article follows the style decisions editors made in Nat Turner's Rebellion, including using capitalization for race. Thus, both Black and White races are capitalized. Rublamb (talk) 14:33, 18 November 2024 (UTC)