Denmark Vessey Hanged
July 2, 1822
In the same year of Gabriel Prosser's death, 1800, a slave named Denmark Vesey gained his freedom in Charleston,
South Carolina. Warning that God helps those who helps themselves, Vesey laid
the plans for a massive slave revolt and enlisted the aid of over 9,000 slaves.
Using information cells which only allowed certain amounts of information to
limited amounts of people, Vesey organized a complex plot. Given its goals, the
revolt would have been impressive had the conspirators not been given away by a
fellow slave. Under arrest, in the face of continued threats, promises, and torture,
only one of the condemned men ever gave away information. One of the leaders,
a slave known as Peter Poyas, told his men, "Do not open your lips. Die silent as
you shall see me do." Vesey and his co-conspirators were hanged on July 2,
1822, the freedom they sought finally at hand