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