The Impact of Nat Turner's Rebellion:Legal Implications In Virginia

Wood cut depicting the rebellion. 

Citation

Nat Turner’s rebellion marked an advent of laws that led to increased restrictions on African Americans, both free and enslaved. Though the rebellion influenced laws across the south, perhaps the most immediate and drastic changes occurred in Virginia. The rebellion prompted a prolonged debate in the Virginia General Assembly of 1831 to 1832 where both emancipation and colonization to Africa were argued. In the end legislators chose to strengthen the state’s black codes, further limited the activities of African Americans by monitoring their communication, education and religious practices. Though it was already illegal for anyone to assemble a group of African Americans for the purpose of teaching, further penalties were enacted for those who did, particularly if they were involved in the writing or printing of materials with the intent of inciting insurrection. The new codes also decreed that free African Americans could no longer purchase or in any other way acquire ownership of any slave other than his or her husband, wife, or children. Many legislators also believed that African American preachers were to blame for the rebellion and feared they might incite slaves to further violence. Thus all African American congregations were required to have white ministers and slaves could not attend religious meeting at night unless they had written permission from their master or overseers. This increase in legal restrictions continued into 1834 when the immigration of free African Americans into the state was prohibited.