Voting Station

Denmark Vesey

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Advocate

The Resume

    (circa 1767-July 2, 1822)
    Born in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
    Originally known as Telemaque
    Brought to Charleston, South Carolina by his owner
    Purchased his freedom (1799)
    Became a carpenter and pastor in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church
    Reportedly planned a large-scale slave revolt in and around Charleston
    Arrested before the revolt occurred (June 21, 1822)
    Executed by hanging

Why he might be annoying:

    He served as an interpreter when his owner, Captain Joseph Vesey, bought and sold slaves.
    He used religious meetings as a cover for planning the revolt.
    The suppressed revolt was used as a justification by the state legislature to impose restrictions on free blacks and to limit the ability of slaveholders to free their own slaves.
    The AME church building was razed and its minister was deported from the state.
    In addition to Vesey, 34 other slaves were hanged, often on flimsy evidence.

Why he might not be annoying:

    Unlike many slaves, he could read and write.
    He was fluent in English, French, and Spanish.
    He won $1,500 in a lottery (November 9, 1799), and used $600 to purchase his freedom.
    He was married to another slave, but was unable to free her and their children because her owner refused to sell.
    The extent of the planned revolt may have been exaggerated by slavery hardliners to justify further restrictions on slaves and free blacks.
    He was tried in secret without the chance to confront his accusers.
    The state attorney general justified this by arguing that under the South Carolina constitution, slaves were not entitled to the right of habeas corpus, ignoring that Vesey was a free man.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying