Douglas Egerton’s He Shall Go Out Free Essay - 1214 Words

Douglas Egerton’s He Shall Go Out Free In a time when revolution swept both Old World and New, it should have been no surprise that eighteenth century Charleston would find revolution fermenting among its slave population. In his book He Shall Go Out Free, Douglas Egerton describes the life of Denmark Vesey, a freed slave in Charleston, who held a deep and thinly-veiled hatred of slavery and the city’s ruling elite, and was best known for leading a failed attempt at revolt which cost his life. However, Egerton argues one must look beyond the span of Vesey’s lifetime to best understand his impact upon the history of the city. ORIGINS Like most slaves, much about Veseys early years, including his exact†¦show more content†¦CONSPIRACY Denmark Veseys opposition to slavery was by no means veiled, and his inability to buy his family’s freedom only deepened his resentment (77). He often aired his views in the waterfront taverns that were frequented by lower-class whites and freed slaves (100). An avid reader, he eagerly read anti-slavery tracts, and followed newspaper accounts of the slave revolution in Saint Domingue (100). By Christmas of 1821, Vesey decided he had little to lose by challenging the citys elite more directly. At the age of fifty-four, he had lived well beyond average life expectancy for blacks, and knew his time was running short (126). He told his close friend Rolla, a slave of Governor Bennett, that they would have to rise up and fight the whites (131). Vesey began to build a network of supporters who would help recruit and organize other slaves for his planned revolt. However, he knew his rebels could not hold the city or force recognition of their freedom. Instead, he planned for them to rise up at night, killing many whites while they slept. In the ensuing chaos, they would seize ships to sail to Haiti, where slaves had revolted and established a free nation (132). George Wilson, a blacksmith, had overheard discussions of the plot, but refused to go along. On June 14, as