Rebellion in the Early Republic - Gabriel’s Rebellion | 5

American History Tellers

Wondery

Society & Culture, Kids & Family, History, Education For Kids

4.7 • 18.3K Ratings

🗓️ 15 April 2020

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

As a new century dawned on the United States, an enslaved blacksmith named Gabriel began planning a bold plot to overthrow slavery in Virginia’s capital. The uprising would change the future of slavery in the South.

In the spring and summer of 1800, the charismatic Gabriel recruited an army of enslaved artisans, freedmen, and white laborers in Richmond and the surrounding countryside. They fashioned homemade weapons out of farming tools and scrap metal. They planned to attack white merchants, storm Richmond’s treasury, and kidnap Governor James Monroe. By August, hundreds of men had joined Gabriel’s Rebellion, making it the most extensive slave plot the South had seen yet.

But when the day finally came to seize Richmond, a late summer storm threatened to doom Gabriel’s plans.

Support us by supporting our sponsors!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hey, prime members, you can listen to American History Tellers add free on Amazon Music, download the app today.
0:18.0	Imagine it's October 1799.
0:22.0	Order in the court?
0:24.0	You and your four fellow justices of the piece are at the Henrico County Courthouse in Richmond, Virginia.
0:29.0	And you're about to read out a death sentence.
0:32.0	Court will announce the verdict for the slave Gabriel, the property of Thomas Henry Prasser, on the charge of maiming Absalom Johnson by biting off a considerable part of his left ear.
0:42.0	Jailer bring the accused.
0:45.0	Maming a white man is a capital crime for slaves in Virginia, and the evidence against Gabriel is overwhelming.
0:51.0	You look at Gabriel's accuser, the overseer of his plantation, his head is heavily bandaged.
0:57.0	Gabriel stole a pig, when his overseer wrestled him to the ground, Gabriel did something highly unusual, he fought back.
1:05.0	While the Jailer fetches Gabriel, your fellow judge turns you.
1:08.0	It'll cost the state a pretty penny to reimburse Prasser after we sent his slave to the gallows.
1:12.0	Yeah, personally I'd rather the state do away with his file institution of slavery altogether, but as long as it exists, it is our duty to enforce the law.
1:21.0	Well then, we must send an example for his crime. I don't see we have a choice in the matter.
1:27.0	Gabriel shuffles into the court, hands bound.
1:30.0	Then all of a sudden it dawns on you, it's an ancient clause in the state penal code.
1:34.0	Only slaves who have no previous convictions are entitled to it.
1:38.0	What about benefit of clergy?
1:40.0	What? The accused standing before me will be allowed this right, benefit of clergy.
1:46.0	We will stay the execution if he can recite a Bible verse from memory.
1:50.0	You lock eyes with the overseer, he looks outraged and begins to stand.
1:55.0	Order, order, Jailer prepare the brand.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Wondery, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Wondery and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.