A Way in the Desert- Isaiah 43 #newesxodus #oppression #babyloniancaptiv...
Photo by Tijs van Leur on Unsplash
There is a way through the desert.
There is an oasis. In fact, you are an oasis for others.
You are chosen to declare God’s praise.
God makes a way for you through any crisis.
It will be a way that you have not imagined.
Hear this sermon based on Isaiah 43:16–21.
Peter Marshall Prayer to Congress
It is a prayer for today and for all times.
Taken from the movie, "A Man Called Peter" where actor Richard Todd portrays the Reverend Peter Marshall as he becomes the Chaplain for the U.S. Congress in the 1940's.
Read the Prayers of Peter Marshall here: http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupid?key=olbp73710
The King of Richmond
General Gabriel Prosser
(1775-1800)
On August 30, 1800, Gabriel Prosser intended to lead a rebellion and become the king of Richmond and several surrounding counties.
An enslaved man, Gabriel was "owned" by Thomas Henry Prosser of Brookfield plantation near Richmond, Virginia.
He was most likely born on the plantation where he lived. He was married and he was a skilled blacksmith,
He believed that his people were being unjustly enslaved and wanted to do something about it
Out of that, he organized a major slave uprising.
It was the boldest plan of its kind to be conceived of in the history of slavery in the Southern states.
It may have succeeded. However, it was literally rained out. There was a sudden and severe downpour.
Also, some of the slaves of Mosby Shepherd told their master of the plot and it was thwarted.
After this attempted uprising, new laws went into effect limiting the mobility, literacy, and relative freedom of enslaved peoples.
Did he plan violence?
Yes.
Did he break the law?
Well, yes.
He was also executed.
Was it a just law? Was there a better way? Was it effective If it had succeeded would history have been better?
What if it had been carried out and failed
There is not a single question here that could not be asked about the venerated and respected American Revolution.
Gabriel challenged an unjust institution.
I was raised in Richmond and educated in the Richmond Public Schools from K-12. Not one word was ever uttered about Gabriel or this major, significant event in Richmond and American history.
That says much.
A Ballad
Documentary
Gabriel, who often for the sake of convenience is mistakenly referred to as Prosser, was the leader of an unsuccessful slave revolt in Richmond, Virginia in 1800. Born into slavery around 1775, Gabriel was the chattel of Thomas H. Prosser of Henrico County, Virginia. Little is known of his life before the revolt that catapulted him into notoriety. Gabriel’s two brothers, Solomon and Martin and his wife, Nanny, were all owned by Thomas Prosser, and all participated in the insurrection.
At the time of the insurrection, Gabriel was twenty-four years old, six feet two inches tall, literate, and a blacksmith by trade. He was described by a contemporary as “a fellow of courage and intellect above his rank in life.” With the help of other slaves including Jack Bowler and George Smith, he devised a plan to seize control of Richmond by killing all of the whites (except the Methodists, Quakers and Frenchmen) and then establishing a Kingdom of Virginia with himself as monarch.
Gabriel and the other revolt leaders were probably influenced by the American Revolution and more recently the French and Haitian Revolutions with their rhetoric of freedom, equality and brotherhood. In the months prior to the revolt, he recruited hundreds of supporters and organized them into military units. Although Virginia authorities never determined the extent of the revolt, they estimated that several thousand planned to participate including many who were to be armed with swords and pikes made from farm tools by slave blacksmiths.
Gabriel planned to initiate the insurrection on the night of August 30, 1800. However, earlier in the day two slaves who wanted to protect their masters betrayed the plot to Virginia authorities. Governor James Monroe alerted the militia. A rainstorm prevented the army from assembling outside Richmond thereby delaying the uprising by 24 hours and giving the militia crucial time to prepare a defense of the city. Realizing their plan had been discovered, Gabriel and his co-conspirators dispersed into the countryside. About 35 leaders were captured and executed but Gabriel was able to escape to Norfolk where he was betrayed by other enslaved people for the reward. He was captured on September 25 and returned to Richmond where he was tried and found guilty on October 6 for his role in the abortive uprising. He was executed on October 7, 1800.
Links
- The Collegian, Community gathers for 20th Annual Gabriel Gathering at Shockoe Bottom African Burial Ground
- Richmond Magazine, Nice Shot: Illumination and Reclamation The 20th annual Gabriel Gathering at the African Burial Ground in Shockoe Bottom, Nov 8, 2022
- Black Agenda Report, Commemorating Gabriel's Rebellion at the African Burial Ground in Richmond, Virginia, Sept 30, 2022
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