Analyzation of Fires of Jubilee: Nat Turner

            The Nat Turner Rebellion was an important event in the history of the United States. As a result of the rebellion that Nat started, the history of America is a drastically different place than it would have been. In the book The Fires of Jubilee: Nat Turner's Fierce Rebellion, Stephen B. Oates describes Nat Turner as a boy, as a man, and the effect of his death on society around him. In his life, he witnessed numerous horrendous acts which prompted him to commit the similar upon his oppressors. Although, what Nat did may have seemed just to him, violence cannot be assuaged with violence so his actions and the actions that he ordered to be taken out were not justified.
             In retrospection of the rebellion that was led by Nat Turner and the facts presented with it, one may say that the rebellion was morally defensible. In the countless years that African Americans were oppressed before and during Nat's life, an immeasurable amount had been murdered or brutally tortured. Nat was also a part of this vicious cycle. As a child he had been told that because of his intelligence, he would be spared as a slave. However, Nat's then current master died and was put into slavery by Samuel Turner, his old master's son. After years of working for in the field for nothing other than food, clothing, and shelter he was yet again sold to another master after Samuel died of "some unknown affliction". Within this though, he was separated from his wife as each of them had to work on separate plantations. This of course caused him much personal angst. Nat was sold to a man called Thomas Moore, who worked in the fields along side the slaves. The rebellion itself was morally just for reasons other than personal to Nat also, it was for god. Nat believed that he had the gift of being able to speak to god and that he was chosen. He also believed that he had special gifts, such being able to heal people with his hands.