Gabriel's Rebellion: The Virginia Slave Conspiracies of 1800 and 1802 [Paperback]

Douglas R. Egerton (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0807844225 | ISBN-13: 978-0807844229 | Publication Date: November 21, 1993

Gabriel's Rebellion tells the dramatic story of what was perhaps the most extensive slave conspiracy in the history of the American South. Douglas Egerton illuminates the complex motivations that underlay two related Virginia slave revolts: the first, in 1800, led by the slave known as Gabriel; and the second, called the 'Easter Plot,' instigated in 1802 by one of his followers. Although Gabriel has frequently been portrayed as a messianic, Samson-like figure, Egerton shows that he was a literate and highly skilled blacksmith whose primary goal was to destroy the economic hegemony of the 'merchants,' the only whites he ever identified as his enemies. According to Egerton, the social, political, and economic disorder of the Revolutionary era weakened some of the harsh controls that held slavery in place during colonial times. Emboldened by these conditions, a small number of literate slaves—most of them highly skilled artisans—planned an armed insurrection aimed at destroying slavery in Virginia. The intricate scheme failed, as did the Easter Plot that stemmed from it, and Gabriel and many of his followers were hanged. By placing the revolts within the broader context of the volatile political currents of the day, Egerton challenges the conventional understanding of race, class, and politics in the early days of the American republic.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a volume certain to provoke debate, Egerton ( Charles Fenton Mercer and the Trial of National Conservatism ) analyzes two important slave revolts of the early 19th century as having to do with economics and class as much as with slavery and race. The more important of the two revolts was led by Gabriel Prosser, a much mythologized figure whom Egerton tries to recover from his murky past. As reconstructed by Egerton, Gabriel was a blacksmith whose skill gave him a special status--he was allowed to hire himself out off the plantation; he led his rebellion against the white merchant class, who exploited laborers like himself. Betrayed by one of those involved, the revolt failed; Gabriel was summarily tried and hanged. Two years later, Sancho, another slave who had been peripherally involved in the Gabriel plot, also planned a rebellion. This attempt met with similar results, and Sancho followed Gabriel to the grave. Well written and meticulously documented, the account of these two abortive revolutions will hold the interest of students and lay readers alike. In the end, however, the book fails in its intention to refute considerable evidence offered by other scholars that Gabriel was religiously motivated.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

Well written and meticulously documented, the account . . . will hold the interest of students and lay readers alike.

Publishers Weekly

Will be regarded as the definitive work on the plots of 1800 and 1802.

American Historical Review

A masterful account of the Easter conspiracy in 1802, barely mentioned in history textbooks.

Arkansas Historical Quarterly

May well be the definitive work on its subject. . . . Egerton's work in primary materials, archival and otherwise, is unparalleled.

Daniel C. Littlefield, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

A significant contribution.

Australasian Journal of American Studies

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press (November 21, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807844225
• ISBN-13: 978-0807844229
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #161,894 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read!, August 5, 2000

By 

Fred M. Blum - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gabriel's Rebellion: The Virginia Slave Conspiracies of 1800 and 1802 (Paperback)

Egerton does a masterful job of placing slavery within the broad context of revolutinary America. Gabriel's rebellion was born not only out of the opression of slavery but out of the political theory embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the conflict betweent the Republicans and Federalists to determine whether those principals would be part of American life. To a large extent, Gabriel was doomed because he believed that the political rhetoric of the Republicans extended beyond men with white skin.

Most intersting is the discussion of the very real attempts to end slavery in Virginia after the rebellion. There is some real irony that Jefferson - the father of American democracy - was the one that killed any hope for the peaceful end of slavery. In the end, Egerton is correct that once Virginians decided to continue their peculiar institution, that opressive control of slaves rather than the principals that the revolution was fought over had to be the controlling philosophy.

This is a must read for anyone who wishes to understand how slavery fit within the context of American political thought.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Liberty or Death!, October 27, 2000

By 

Jonathan Streff (Alexandria, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gabriel's Rebellion: The Virginia Slave Conspiracies of 1800 and 1802 (Paperback)

It is so refreshing to read a work by an academic historian that has clear points laid out in the introduction, cogent arguments that are supported in the body of the text, and a writing style mercifully free of mind-bending jargon . Egerton combines the best of social history (focus on everyday lives of non-elites) with a discussion of the political mood of young nation searching for its own definition(s) of freedom. I would heartily recommend this work for anyone attempting to understand slave resistance and the varieties of the slave "experience" in North America. This is a great addition to an already expansive literature on slavery, and I look forward to reading Egerton's recent work on Denmark Vesey.