The Three Keys to Freedom and Success — according to a 1831 freedom fighter and rebel

I watched ‘Birth of a Nation’ about the life of Nat Turner — a preacher who led the black slave rebellion against their white slave masters in 1831.

I found it to be a very interesting film and a deeply sobering look at the oppression, subjugation and suffering inflicted upon an entire race of people. Some scenes are absolutely horrifying to watch, and overall the film was very thought-provoking, indeed.

What was particularly interesting to me were the three things which drove this change and caused him to rebel and lead others down this route of insurrection and revolution. These three things stood him apart from all of his peers who had accepted their lifelong fate as slaves.

The first, was the fact he had the advantage of knowledge — he was fortunate to have been taught how to read when he was young. Therefore rather than passively accept his fate, his intellect knew he simply had to do something to challenge norms and made him think differently from everyone else and lead from the front.

The second, was when the injustices became TOO much to bear. When he had seen one too many incidents of torture, including his wife and actually suffered himself also — it pushed him to urgent and immediate action. Something within him…