Accessibility links
The Many Faces of Nat Turner In 1831, Nat Turner led a slave rebellion in Southampton County, Va., that killed more than 50 white people. An independent film debuting on PBS examines The Confessions of Nat Turner, William Styron's controversial 1967 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Turner's alleged jailhouse statements and other versions of Turner's story. Pat Dowell reports.

Culture

The Many Faces of Nat Turner

Documentary Uses Drama to Portray 1831 Slave Revolt Leader

Heard on Morning Edition

The Many Faces of Nat Turner

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1667325/1668274" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Nat Turner's 1831 "confessions," allegedly dictated while he was in jail shortly before his hanging. Library of Congress hide caption

READ THE TEXT
toggle caption
Library of Congress

In 1831, Nat Turner led a slave rebellion in Southampton County, Va., that killed more than 50 white people. An independent film debuting on PBS examines The Confessions of Nat Turner, William Styron's controversial 1967 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Turner's alleged jailhouse statements and other versions of the insurrection leader's story.

The documentary, Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property, features dramatizations by five different actors playing Turner -- each one depicting a different author's view. Pat Dowell reports.

» Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property

Background on Turner, the film, and a video preview.