Denmark Vesey: The Untold Story of America's Largest Slave Rebellion & Its Leader | Historical Nonfiction, African American History Books, Civil Rights Movement | Perfect for Students, Researchers & History Buffs

This book should be required reading in all high school and college American history survey classes. This accolade isn’t because this book is great literature or a tribute to writing history. It is due to the component parts of the aborted rebellion of Denmark Vesey.First, virtually all black slaves came here without a name. Vesey was the name of his master and Denmark I think was a middle name of master Vesey.Second, Denmark Vesey won a lottery and used that money to buy his freedom. There were apparently a number of free blacks in the antebellum South. He was not prevented from buying his freedom and also bought a house in Charleston in 1822.The plans for his revolt included the burning of Charleston and the killing of all white men, women and children in Charleston. But the revolt wasn’t about eliminating slavery, it’s object was to take the 5000 slaves from Charleston to Haiti.Zinn in his People’s history mentions Denmark Vesey’s plot was betrayed by another black to the white authorities but he doesn’t mention that the plantation blacks failed to show up for the uprising.The hard and bloody work of eliminating slavery would wait until 1861.Well worth a read.