America became accustomed to slavery in 1619 when 20 African American men were landed in Jamestown, Virginia. Colonists in and around Jamestown were slow to adopt the institution of slavery, rather relying on their indentured servants. Most of the servants were English, who worked on their land and performed other work for the colonists. The colonists did not understand why there was an immediate rush to import Africans as slaves when they had servitude. As time passed, between 1680 and 1750, more and more African Americans began to be imported into America. However, after Africans began to be imported, the growing population grew from 7% to 44%. A significant event that occurred before the ratification of slavery was a rebellion carried out by a man named Nat Turner. Turner was a very intelligent and religious man, who imagined his people to be free, so he started a slave rebellion, but was later captured after isolating himself from the city. Turner was the first African American to resist and start a rebellion against slavery. Nat Turner's Rebellion became known as the "first war" against slavery, and the Civil War later became the second. Nat's rebellion began on August 21, 1831 when he and seven other African American slaves began making their way through a southwestern stretch of Virginia. The men walked through tangled cypress and water oak trees as they silently approached a nearby home. The house they were headed to was owned by a white slave owner named Joseph Travis. Turner demanded respect from his group of men and they did not enter the house until they understood Turner's special instructions. They killed Travis, his children, his wife and servant in his sleep, they were all with an ax... middle of paper... When Turner was suspended, he didn't move a muscle. Nat Turner went quietly to his death hanging from the noose. Nat Turner's death and rebellion marked a turning point in the history of slavery in America. Many events occurred before and after the Turner Rebellion which occurred due to slavery. Turner's story struck me as the one who started the rebellion against what is wrong. Most people don't have the courage to stand up for what they believe in because they are afraid of the repercussions. Turner knew that the rebellions would not end well for him, but he chose to defend himself and his people who had been and were still humiliated. After his rebellion, slavery continued. But what he did caused a turning point in history that led to the abolition of slavery. To the black slaves, Nat Turner was known as a “hero” (Schleichert).