Gabriel Prosser  

c. 1775-1800 

Nationality - American 

Occupation - Slave leader  

Narrative Essay 

Gabriel Prosser (ca. 1775-1800) was the African American slave leader of anunsuccessful revolt in Richmond, Va., during the summer of 1800.  

Gabriel Prosser, the slave of Thomas H. Prosser, was about 25 years old when hecame to the attention of Virginia authorities late in August 1800. Little is known of hischildhood or family background. He had two brothers and a wife, Nanny, all slaves of Prosser. Gabriel Prosser learned to read and was a serious student of the Bible, wherehe found inspiration in the accounts of Israel's delivery from slavery. Prosser possessedshrewd judgment, and his master gave him much latitude. He was acknowledged as aleader by many slaves around Richmond.  

With the help of other slaves, especially Jack Bowler and George Smith, Prosser designed a scheme for a slave revolt. They planned to seize control of Richmond byslaying all whites (except for Methodists, Quakers, and Frenchmen) and then toestablish a kingdom of Virginia with Prosser as king. The recent, successful AmericanRevolution and the revolutions in France and Haiti--with their rhetoric of freedom,equality, and brotherhood--supplied examples and inspiration for Prosser's rebellion. Inthe months preceding the attack Prosser skillfully recruited supporters and organizedthem into military units. Authorities never discovered how many slaves were involved,but there were undoubtedly several thousand, many armed with swords and pikes madefrom farm tools by slave blacksmiths.  

The plan was to strike on the night of Aug. 30, 1800. Men inside Richmond were to setfire to certain buildings to distract whites, and Prosser's force from the country was toseize the armory and government buildings across town. With the firearms thus gained,the rebels would supposedly easily overcome the surprised whites.  

On the day of the attack the plot was disclosed by two slaves who did not want their masters slain; then Virginia governor James Monroe alerted the militia. That night, asthe rebels began congregating outside Richmond, the worst rainstorm in memoryflooded roads, washed out bridges, and prevented Prosser's army from assembling.Prosser decided to postpone the attack until the next day, but by then the city was toowell defended. The rebels, including Prosser, dispersed.  

 

Some slaves, in order to save their own lives, testified against the ringleaders, about 35of whom were executed. Prosser himself managed to escape by hiding aboard ariverboat on its way to Norfolk. In Norfolk, however, he was betrayed by other slaves,who claimed the large reward for his capture on September 25. Returned to Richmond,Prosser, like most of the other leaders, refused to confess to the plot or give evidenceagainst other slaves. He was tried and found guilty on Oct. 6, 1800, and executed thenext day. 

Sources 

There is no full-length biography of Gabriel. There are short biographical accounts inHerbert Aptheker, Essays in the History of the American Negro (1945) and inWilhelmena S. Robinson, Historical Negro Biographies (1968). The best account of hisrebellion is in Joseph C. Carroll, Slave Insurrections in the United States, 1800-1865  (1938). Additional information is contained in Herbert Aptheker,  American Negro SlaveRevolts (1943; new ed. 1969), and in Robert McColley, Slavery and JeffersonianVirginia (1964). Arna Bontemps, Black Thunder (1936), is a fictionalized treatment of Gabriel and his conspiracy.