Denmark Vesey was an African-American leader of an attempted slave insurrection in 1822. After many years as a slave, he won $1, 500 in a lottery. Vesey used this money to purchase his freedom. He used his intelligence, energy, and luck to acquire considerable wealth and influence in South Carolina.
All of these factors helped lead to the largest attempted slave revolt in American history. David Robertson’s book Denmark Vesey outlines his life as a slave, to his freedom, to his execution, and the consequences of the aftermath. South Carolina was one of the only states in which the black slaves and abolitionists outnumbered their oppressors. Denmark Vesey’s slave revolt consisted of over nine-thousand armed slaves, free blacks, and abolitionists, that would have absolutely devastated society in South Carolina for slave owners, and could have quite possibly been a major step towards the abolishment of slavery in the United states. Robertson succeeded in describing the harsh conditions of slaves in pre-civil war Charleston, South Carolina.
This book also helped me to understand the distinctions between the different groups. These groups including the black slaves, free blacks, extreme abolitionists, and the pro-slavery communities. David Robertson’s Denmark Vesey is sub-titled ‘The Buried History of America’s Largest Slave Rebellion and the Man Who Led It.’ This title is extremely appropriate because of the lack of available information regarding the Denmark Vesey rebellion. No one knows the details of the former-slave’s life such as his background, birthplace [“It is not confirmable whether Vesey was born in Africa or the West Indies.” ], place of execution, or physical appearance. Charlestonian officials considered all facts and records of the plans of the revolt to be too dangerous to keep, with the fear of another slave being negatively influenced by them.
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Nearly all copies of the record of the event, an official report of his trial, and other information were confiscated and burned. The Denmark Vesey revolt is nearly forgotten because of this. Considering the resources that were available to Robertson, Denmark Vesey was well researched, and factual, without his own opinion showing through too much. For these thoughts he added in his own chapter “A Personal Conclusion.” Due to the lack of information, Robertson’s book acts as a sort of introduction to the story, leaving more to be desired. Whether or not there is very much more information about Denmark Vesey to refer to is debatable.
Denmark Vesey was detailed in certain areas such as antebellum conditions and other generally known events of the time. It had a considerable lack of detail in the area of the actual plans of revolt, those involved, and other issues. Vesey took advantage of his situation after being freed from slavery, and educated himself. His intelligence and passion for abolishing slavery were the two key elements to his plans for revolt. The years 1820 – 1822 was the time period between Vesey’s freedom and death.
In these two years, Vesey called assemblies for the slaves and abolitionists, covering the meetings with ‘church gatherings.’ Here, he used religious and moral ideals to preach to those opposed to slavery. Denmark Vesey had a strong sense of idealism, and an aggressive spirit, which he used to persuade people into the rebellion. He preached a doctrine of a consciousness of and pride in the cultural and physical aspects of the African heritage. With this, he was able to attract large numbers of blacks and abolitionists to partake in an enthusiastic undertaking that was difficult and extremely risky. Denmark Vesey and his recruits had cruel intentions for the city of Charleston. In their “church meetings,” they planned to assassinate the governor and other highly elected state officials.
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Interest in American slavery has reemerged recently, coinciding with the very likelihood that the next President of the United States of America will be of "black" and "white" origin. Race has been and is a heated topic. Deeply rooted in the race issues of the United States is the history of slavery. Unlike other countries, slavery wasn't necessary about race, that is a distinction made for ...
They also intended to set the city on fire, and then murder the entire white population of the city, including women and children. Only the lives of those who were captains of the ships that would help the rebels escape to either Haiti or Africa, would be spared. The plot of the revolt is a significant incident in American history, with just the thought of it actually occurring enough to terrify citizens of South Carolina. The Denmark Vesey rebellion is most remembered because of its closeness to success.
The plot internally fell through when informers betrayed him, and confessed to their masters the plans that had been made. By the end of the summer of 1822, Vesey, along with 34 other leaders, were arrested and tried. They were then convicted and executed in a place that is still unknown to us. Although the revolt never took place, the slaves and abolitionists definitely had the resources and ability to do it. David Robertson obviously thoroughly researched the topic, with 40 pages of notes, and pictures at the end of the book. He took a very limited source of information, and turned it into a historical detective novel.
That in itself is credible, even though the book is relatively short. Denmark Vesey gives a good foundation of information on the subject, but is lacking in certain areas. In spite of its deterioration, the aftermath of the revolt had extensive consequences. Robertson particularized them with references to John Calhoun fortifying South Carolina before the civil war occurred.
It also left a scare in the people’s minds, and was another small step towards the abolishment of slavery. Robertson analyzed the aftermath in a variety of aspects, including the effects on the public, and the government. Denmark Vesey by David Robertson, is an important contribution to American historiography. His “detective story” is about a forgotten event, which is commonly overlooked when studying American history. It is undeniable that if the Denmark Vesey revolt had taken place, American history would have been changed forever, with ideas about slavery being changed, and the complete destruction of Charleston, South Carolina. David Robertson adequately relayed the event in a way that portrayed Denmark Vesey to be a hero, and a source of pride for African-Americans..
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