Over 250 Slave Revolts in the states, hundreds more in the Caribbean and South Americas to self liberate kidnapped Africans. Resistance to slavery was common in passive and active ways; some were work slow downs, conjuring, religious practices, conspiracies and violence.
Gabriel's revolt is depicted here, it was in 1800 planned with his wife Nanny, brothers Solomon and Martin; with at least 1000 more slaves on different plantations in Virginia they set out to overthrow the plantation system on a dark stormy night. Betrayed, they were apprehended and many executed, a few were sent to Nova Scotia whose descendants helped establish Sierra Leone.
Their banner evoked the words of Patrick Henry on the verge of the American Revolutionary war
"Death or Liberty".
The history of our country must be told in truth, we are a great nation because we fought to be so, but never forget blood is still on the land.
To become true to the promise of the future acknowledge the past, for we were built on the lives of slaves, indentured servants, child labor, and the death of millions Indigenous people here before the West wrested the land.
Civil rights are not a guarantee but must be safeguarded as we struggle to be a more perfect nation and live up to the proud words in our Constitution.
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