Nat became interested in the Bible and eventually became a preacher. He taught other slaves about God and held Bible studies. Some people even referred to Nat as a "prophet" (an important man sent from God.) Nat became more and more spiritual, claiming that he was having visions from God. He began to believe that God was going to use him for something important, but he wasn't sure what. Then one day Nat claimed that God told him to lead a revolt against slavery. He knew what he needed to do, now he just waited for a sign.

On February 12th, 1831, there was a solar eclipse across the United States. Most people at the time had no idea what an eclipse was, but Nat saw this as his sign to begin his revolt.

His rebellion was very effective. Hundreds of slaves took part in the uprising. They killed about 60 white people, but in the end, the revolt failed. Nat Turner was executed, and more than 100 blacks were killed.

As a result of the rebellion, many white people in the south feared that that more slaves would revolt. They passed even stricter laws.