Denmark Vesey was a charismatic ex-slave who had purchased his own freedom in 1800 with winnings from a lottery ticket. Inspired by the success of the revolutionary black republic in Haiti, he persuaded some 9,000 slaves that freedom was theirs if they acted boldly. When his uprising was betrayed, Vesey and his 77 followers were promptly executed, the matter was further hushed up by Charleston's white leaders. Compelling, informative and often disturbing, this book brings readers closer to a seminal hero in the struggle against slavery. 202 pages, softcover.
