Susan R. Silverman

A Documented History of Gullah Jack Pritchard and the Denmark Vesey Slave Insurrection of 1822 Susan R. Silverman

The Denmark Vesey slave revolt of 1822 was one of the most massive slave revolts ever planned, involving an estimated 9,000 slaves. The plot was discovered only two days before the scheduled uprising. In the aftermath, over 100 slaves were arrested, 35 executed. One of the slaves executed was an African-born conjurer names Gullah Jack Pritchard. He recruited his fellow Angolan countrymen by promising them protection with the magic charms he distributed. His cunning, persuasion and knowledge of African religion induced many to enlist in the ill-fated revolt. Though much has been written about Denmark Vesey, this monograph is the first to detail the importance of Gullah Jack in the insurrection. It integrates original documents along with narrative detailing the life of Gullah Jack prior to and during the planned insurrection. The original documents, providing the flavor of the time, have been duplicated as close to their original format as possible.