14. Heavy rains ended a slave rebellion before it began in 1800
Gabriel, sometimes erroneously referred to as Gabriel Prosser, was a slave believed to have been hired out as a blacksmith in Richmond, Virginia, in the late eighteenth century. Hiring-out slaves was a common practice in Virginia, the wages paid for the work were usually kept by their owner, though some allowed the slave to keep a small portion of what they earned. As a hired slave, Gabriel came into contact with other slaves as he traveled to different sites to perform his work. In 1800, Gabriel was alleged to have plotted a slave rebellion which included about two dozen slaves. They were to escape, gather at a predetermined site, and according to some kidnap James Monroe, then Governor of Virginia.
Monroe was to be held hostage against their receiving their freedom. Gabriel’s Rebellion failed when heavy rains and accompanying thunderstorms prevented the group from assembling. Gabriel escaped to a ship in the James River, where another slave recognized him and turned him in to Virginia authorities. Another slave warned Mosby Sheppard, his owner, of the plot and Sheppard, in turn, informed Monroe, who ordered the Virginia Militia to round up the conspirators. Gabriel and 25 other slaves were implicated in the plot, and all 26 were hanged for participating in the conspiracy in Richmond. Had the weather not intervened, American history may have been quite different.
Read More: What Daily Life for an Enslaved Person in Virginia was Like?
