Gabriel’s Rebellion

Definition

Gabriel's Rebellion was a planned slave revolt in Richmond, Virginia in 1800, led by a slave named Gabriel Prosser. The plan was discovered and suppressed before it could be carried out.

Analogy

Think of Gabriel's Rebellion like an unsuccessful surprise party where the birthday person finds out about the party before it happens. In this case, the 'party' was a rebellion and the 'birthday person' was the government.

Related terms

Slave Rebellions: These are acts of violent resistance by enslaved people against their enslavers.

Nat Turner’s Rebellion: This is another famous slave rebellion that took place in Virginia in 1831, led by Nat Turner.

Underground Railroad: A network of secret routes and safe houses used by enslaved African-Americans to escape into free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists who were sympathetic to their cause.