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Ben Franklin's World

399 Denmark Vesey's Bible

Ben Franklin's World

Liz Covart

Earlyrepublic, History, Benfranklin, Society & Culture, Warforindependence, Earlyamericanrepublic, Earlyamericanhistory, Education, Colonialamerica, Americanrevolution, Ushistory, Benjaminfranklin

4.61.5K Ratings

🗓️ 3 December 2024

⏱️ 56 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Denmark Vesey’s failed revolt in 1822 could have been the largest insurrection of enslaved people against their enslavers in United States history. Not only was Vesey’s plan large in scale, but Charleston officials arrested well over one hundred rumored participants.

Jeremy Schipper, a Professor in the departments for the Study or Religion and Near and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Toronto and the author of Denmark Vesey’s Bible: The Thwarted Revolt that Put Scripture and Slavery on Trial, joins us to investigate Vesey’s planned rebellion and the different ways Vesey used the Bible and biblical texts to justify his revolt and the violence it would have wrought.

Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/399



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Transcript

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0:00.0

You're listening to an Airwave Media podcast.

0:04.2

Ben Franklin's World is a production of Colonial Williamsburg Innovation Studios.

0:09.2

For instance, one text that's often attributed to V.C.'s use was a text from Exodus chapter 21

0:16.6

verse 16, which says, I'm paraphrasing here, but whoever kidnaps a person or is found with a person

0:25.2

in their hand, in their control, should we put to death. Visi, of course, said, okay, this is what we

0:31.2

should practically do. The Bible says right there, Exodus chapter 21, verse 16, it says right there that if you're in slaver,

0:39.4

you should be killed. So he took that as marching orders.

0:46.5

Hello and welcome to episode 399 of Ben Franklin's World, the podcast dedicated to helping you learn more about how the people and events of our early American past have shaped the present day world we live in.

1:04.4

And I'm your host, Liz Covart.

1:07.1

Historians estimate that British North America and the United States experienced somewhere

1:11.7

between 250 and 311 slave revolts. Of those approximately 300 slave revolts, six tend to make our history

1:19.7

books. The 1739 Stoner Rebellion in South Carolina, the 1741 New York Conspiracy in New York

1:26.8

City, Gabriel Prosser's conspiracy in Richmond,

1:29.9

Virginia in 1800, the German Coast uprising in Louisiana's sugar parishes in 1811, Denmark v.C.'s failed

1:37.4

revolt in Charleston, South Carolina in 1822, and Nat Turner's Southampton Virginia rebellion in 1831.

1:45.5

Now, Denmark v.C's failed revolt in 1822 could have been the largest insurrection of enslaved

1:50.7

people against their enslavers in United States history.

1:54.2

Not only was the plan for this revolt large in scale, but Charleston officials arrested

1:58.9

well over 100 rumored participants.

2:01.6

So what was Denmark VSE's plan and how did he recruit so many potential participants?

2:07.6

Jeremy Skipper, a professor in the departments for the study of religion and near

2:11.6

and Middle Eastern civilizations at the University of Toronto, joins us to investigate answers to these questions. In doing so,

...

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