The fire of Jubilee by Stephen Oates - Essay Example

Fires of jubilee analytical essay The fire of Jubilee is an amazing narrative of the events that happened in 1831 inVirginia. The book by Stephen Oates has little examination of the events but illustrates the fierce rebellion that occurred in Virginia. Further, the fires of jubilee are always associated with its leader Nat Turner. In his analysis, Oates argues that white Virginia supported slavery, which gave it more pride during the 1800s. The slaves in Virginia were not oppressed as was the case in other counties but they were happy and grateful to their masters. The White Virginia despised what they thought was mistreatment of laves in states such as Alabama and Georgia. Slaves were not ready to be oppressed, humiliated, and dehumanized. This sense of feeling made Nat Turner to plan a strong and fierce armed revolt against harsh slave codes that preached mistreatment or ill-treatment. Oates in his book depicts Turner as a fascinating person in the sense that he managed to attain the ability to write and read despite the fact that it was illegal for slaves to be educated (Oates 12). Unlike other slaves living in Virginia during 1820s, Turner was permitted to move among the county plantation and farms and to preach to his fellow slaves during Sundays. This kind of freedom and movement gave him chance to study his fellow slaves and identify those who suited his plans. Further, it gave him an opportunity to learn the County’s geography and to note the brutal and cruel masters in the County farms. The author states that Turner’s reading of the bible made him realize that white people were wrong in justifying and quantifying slavery and that the bible contained amazing stories of liberation of captives and exiles. The knowledge he gained from the bible, his life experience and interpretation of mysterious signs forced Turner to believe that God had chosen him to stage a rebellion that would end up liberating the slaves in Virginia just as Moses liberated the Israelites from captivity in Egypt (Oates 31). An eclipse that occurred in Virginia in 1831 encouraged Turner that God wanted him to start the uprising and his followers or fellow slaves began the revolt without hesitation since they knew it was for their liberation. When rebellion began, Turner followers travelled across Virginia executing white people in every farm. It is significant to note that the book provides chronological happening of the rebellion in Virginia and its inhuman suppression. as amazing as the story of the Virginia rebellion is, Oates narration of the aftermath of the 1831 events is saddening. For instance, the author states that at the beginning, it is not recognized that the number of black casualties murdered in white retaliation were more than Turner’s victims were. In addition, the author explains the fear and anxiety among white people in Virginia and other States that practiced slavery. White people feared that the uprising or rebellion was a small part of a bigger and much more organized uprising planned by William Lloyd from the North. William Lloyd Garrison advocated for abolitionism movement. This movement advocated for suppression and abolition of slavery by combined moral suasion, violent revolts by slaves and political forces. They were determined to their responsibility to better their world. However, they used to differ on what was to be reformed and how to reform. This led to adoption of stricter and harsh slave codes in Virginia that significantly decreased the limited freedom slaves had enjoyed before the 1831 rebellion. The new slave codes would last and endure for the remainder of the antebellum era (Oates 64). What is surprising about the Virginia rebellion is that it convinced Floyd Virginia governor to introduce an emancipation bill in state laws but he changed his mind about it in later days. A much as states called for the end to the brutal and ill-treatment of slaves, there were chances that such a bill may be approved which would have great impact for the Southern States. Unfortunately, Nat Turner and his associates did not manage to end slavery since many slaves lived in deplorable conditions in their masters homes. The sad thing is that the movement lasted for only three days but Turner and his aides came closer to transforming history than any other person did at that time. Apart from this happening, one thing that remains known is that if Nat Turner lived to witness the destruction of Richmond in the early 1860s at the end of bloody civil war that was defined as slavery issue, he could have argued that it was divine guidance on the South that talked about in 1831 (Oates 78). The author summarizes the book with a postscript from his visit to Virginia where the revolt occurred in order to study and know much about Turner. In it, detailed explanations of the events exist tracking the exact roads from farm to farm. Oates notes that some of the 1830 farms were still standing. Unfortunately, the author found the place still engulfed in racial tension a century after Virginia revolt that aimed to abolish racism and slavery. What is interesting in the book is that the author does not make any moral judgment about Turner’s actions. He does not bring the moral agenda of Martin Luther and stamp them back in 1830s in order to begin explaining about the need to confront evil in society via violent means. However, he views the rebellion as part of violence developed by oppressive laws. Works Cited Oates, Stephen. Fires of Jubilee: Nat Turner’s fierce Rebellion. New York: Harper Perennial, 1900. Print. Theodore, Parker. Yankee Crusader. New York: The Beacon Press, 1960, p. 19. Print. Ralph Waldo Emerson. An Address on The Fugitive Slave Law (May 3, 1851). Print. Read More