In addition to his strong religious convictions
clearly depicted in the series of highlighted panels, Turner also demonstrated
cognitive superiority, stating that although he never felt compelled to steal;
those who did relied on him to plan their escapades. Turner’s executive skills
clearly stemmed from the ease in which he became literate and used his literacy
to take advantage of every learning opportunity. For example, at a young age,
no one had taught Turner his letters, but when his family handed him a book to
stop his crying, he spelled the objects pictured, “a source of wonder to all in
the neighborhood.” Turner’s literacy is remarkable because during the
antebellum period, slaves were a largely illiterate and disenfranchised
population. In fact, anti-literacy laws were a major tactic used by southern
plantation owners to dehumanize the enslaved black population. Anti-literacy
laws were important in controlling the enslaved black population because
literacy was a sign of intellectual development and, potentially, social
mobility.
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Under
the anti-literacy laws, an extension of the slave codes, slaveholders employed
stiff sentences for behavior that violated the codes. The image above
illustrates the result of disobeying the slave codes and highlights the risk
Nat Turner was taking in teaching himself how to read and write.
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