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Nat Turner 
Nat Turner was a visionary religious leader and the architect of the August 1831 Southampton Virginia slave revolt. This revolt was one of more than 250 documented revolts by slaves. The most famous slave revolts included those lead by Denmark Vesey and Gabriel Prosser. 

Some people called Nat Turner a heathen while others called him a Christian prophet. Nat Turner was possessed by the spirit world of both his African ancestors and the new Christian world he was forced into. It is said that as a child Turner spoke about things that occurred before his birth. He was known as a outstanding and gifted speaker. He said aloud what the slaves felt inside. Turner found the biblical scriptures that called slavery unjust and contrary to the will of God. He had numerous visions about God's justice for the slaves and held the slave community spellbound as he preached and communicated his visions. 

It was a series of visions from God that convinced Nat that he should struggle against the enslavement of his people. The first of these visions occurred in 1828. In this vision, it was revealed to Turner that the time was coming when "the first would be last and the last would be first." Nat's visions culminated in a slave uprising that began on August 21, 1831. Including his master and his family, sixty whites were killed in a twenty four hour period. The following day State and Federal troops arrived in Southampton county to stop the revolt. Once the revolt was put down, black slaves were randomly arrested, put on trial and hanged. Just before being sent to the gallows, Turner was asked, "Do you not find yourself mistaken now?" to which Nat replied, "Was not Christ crucified." 

The aftermath of the Southampton revolt led to the strengthening of the "Black Codes" throughout the south. These codes included laws that specified that slaves cannot: assemble in groups of more than 5; own property or testify in court; strike a white; learn to read or write; buy or sell goods; conduct a religious service without a white person present; beat drums, etc. 

The frequent and numerous slave revolts proved that the slaves were not happy. They yearned for freedom and were willing to pay for it with their lives, if necessary.
 
http://afroamhistory.about.com/library/weekly/aa040201a.htm
Nat Turner's Rebellion
To the white residents of Southampton County, it came as a surprise that a slave named Nat Turner was the leader of a slave rebellion that resulted in the deaths of 55 white people. This rebellion, which Turner believed was directed by God, became one of the most famous slave insurrections in U.S. history. 
Nat Turner was born in Southampton County, Virginia on October 2, 1800. As a young boy, Turner was recognized as being highly intelligent. His keen sense was noticed when he was about three or four years old. While he was playing with other children, his mother overheard him telling them about something that had happened before he was born. She asked him details about the incident, and it confirmed that he knew about this past event. Thereafter, other slaves believed that in addition to his unique perception, his physical markings were a sign that he would be a prophet. 
In adulthood, he became a preacher. As a young man, he began having visions that he believed were from God. Turner had three visions prior to the rebellion in 1831. His first vision occurred in 1821, after he had run away. While hiding out in the woods, he was prompted to return after a vision from the Spirit who directed him to "return to the service of my earthly master." After thirty days in the woods, he returned to his master. 
His second vision came in 1825 after he had seen "lights in the sky." He prayed to find out what it meant. His prayers were answered when ". . . while laboring in the field, I discovered drops of blood on the corn, as though it were dew from heaven . . . I then found on the leaves in the woods hieroglyphic characters and numbers, with the forces of men in different attitudes, portrayed in blood, and representing the figures I had seen before in the heavens." 
On May 12, 1828 he had his third vision. He ". . . heard a loud noise in the heavens, and the Spirit instantly appeared to me and said the Serpent was loosened, and Christ had laid down the yoke he had borne for the sins of men, and that I should take it on and fight against the Serpent, for the time was fast approaching when the first should be last and the last should be first. . . . And by signs in the heavens that it would make known to me when I should commence the great work . . ." Then in February of 1831, an eclipse of the sun occurred, and Turner believed that this was a sign to begin planning. He told four other slaves, and they planned the attack for the 4th of July, but they had to cancel due to Turner being ill. 
Plans were postponed until August 20th. On that evening, Turner and six other men met in the woods, and at 2:00 a.m. they set out for the house of Turner's master. There they killed his master's entire family and proceeded to go house-to-house, sparing no one. In the process, they had gained the assistance of 40 slaves who helped kill at least 55 white people. 
The rebellion came to an end when Turner and the other slaves were pursued by the militia. During the pursuit, some slaves were captured, and about 15 were hanged. Turner escaped and hid out for about six weeks until he was captured, imprisoned, and on November 5, 1831, he was sentenced to execution. While in prison, he dictated his confession to Thomas R. Gray. On November 11, he was hanged and skinned. 
As a result of the insurrection, Virginia debated about ending slavery but decided against it. Instead, more stringent laws were imposed upon both free blacks and slaves. 
The following text is Nat Turner's confession, as it was dictated to Thomas R. Gray and published in 1831 in The Confessions of Nat Turner, The Leader of the Late Insurrection, in Southampton, VA.

http://afroamhistory.about.com/library/blturner_confession1.htm
The Confessions of Nat Turner Dictated to Thomas R. Gray 
Agreeable to his own appointment, on the evening he was committed to prison, with permission of the Jailer, I visited NAT on Tuesday the 1st November, when, without being questioned at all, he commenced his narrative in the following words: 
Sir,-You have asked me to give a history of the motives which induced me to undertake the late insurrection, as you call it - To do so I must go back to the days of my infancy, and even before I was born. I was thirty-one years of age the 2d of October last, and born the property of Benj. Turner, of this county. In my childhood a circumstance occurred which made an indelible impression on my mind, and laid the ground work of that enthusiasm, which has terminated so fatally to many both white and black, and for which I am about to atone at the gallows. It is here necessary to relate this circumstance - trifling as it may seem, it was the commencement of that belief which has grown with time, and even now, sir, in this dungeon, helpless and forsaken as I am, I cannot divest myself of. Being at play with other children, when three or four years old, I was telling them something, which my mother overhearing, said it had happened before I was born - I stuck to my story, however, and related some things which went in her opinion to confirm it - others being called on were greatly astonished, knowing that these things had happened, and caused them to say in my hearing, I surely would be a prophet, as the Lord had shewn me things that had happened before my birth. And my father and mother strengthened me in this my first impression, saying in my presence, I was intended for some great purpose, which they had always thought from certain marks on my head and breast- [a pracel of excrescences which I believe are not at all uncommon, particularly among negroes, as I have seen several with the same. In this case he has either cut them off, or they have nearly disappeared] - My grand mother, who was very religious, and to whom I was much attached - my master, who belonged to the church, and other religious persons who visited the house, and whom I often saw at prayers, noticing the singularity of my manners, I suppose, and my uncommon intelligence for a child, remarked I had too much sense to be raised - and if I was, I would never be of any service to any one - as a slave - To a mind like mine, restless, in quisitive and observant of every thing that was passing, it is easy to suppose that religion was the subject to which it would be directed, and although this subject principally occupied my thoughts, there was nothing that I saw or heard of to which my attention was not directed - The manner in which I learned to read and write, not only had great influence on my own mind, as I acquired it with the most perfect ease, so much so, that I have no recollection whatever of learning the alphabet - but to the astonishment of the family, one day, when a book was shewn me to keep me from crying, I began spelling the names of different objects - this was a source of wonder to all in the neighborhood, particularly the blacks - and this learning was constantly improved at all opportunities - when I got large enough to go to work, while employed, I was reflecting on many things that would present themselves to my imagination, and whenever an opportunity occurred of looking at a book, when the school children were getting their lessons, I would find many things that the fertility of my own imagination had depicted to me before; all my time, not devoted to my master's service, was spent either in prayer, or in making experiments in casting different things in moulds made of earth, in attempting to make paper, gunpowder, and many other experiments, that although I could not perfect, yet con vinced me of its practicability if I had the means.[1] 
I was not addicted to stealing in my youth, nor have ever been - Yet such was the confidence of the negroes in the neighborhood, even at this early period of my life, in my superior judgment, that they would often carry me with them when they were going on any roguery, to plan for them. Growing up among them, with this confidence in my superior judgment, and when this, in their opinions, was perfected by Divine inspiration, from the circumstances already alluded to in my infancy, and which belief was ever afterwards zealously inculcated by the austerity of my life and manners, which became the subject of remark by white and black. - Having soon discovered to be great, I must appear so, and therefore studiously avoided mixing in society, and wrapped myself in mystery, devoting my time to fasting and prayer. By this time, having arrived to man's estate, and hearing the Scriptures commented on at meetings, I was struck with that particular passage which says: "Seek ye the kingdom of Heaven and all things shall be added unto you." I reflected much on this passage, and prayed daily for light on this subject - As I was praying one day at my plough, the spirit spoke to me, saying "Seek ye the kingdom of Heaven and all things shall be added unto you." 
Notes
[1] When questioned as to the manner of manufacturing those different articles, he was found well informed