Background
By 1708, the population of the colony of South Carolina was majority slave, reflecting the numerous African slaves imported to the state as laborers on the rice and indigo plantations. Exports of these commodity crops, and cotton from the sea islands, produced the wealth enjoyed by South Carolina’s planters, who controlled the legislature for decades after the American Revolution. The state, the Lowcountry and city of Charleston continued to be dominated in population by the slaves of African descent. By the late 18th century, slaves were increasingly “country born,” that is, native to the United States.[12] They were generally considered more tractable than newly enslaved Africans. Connections of kinship and personal relations extended between slaves in the city of Charleston and those on plantations in the Lowcountry, just as those connections existed among the planter class, many of whom had homes (and domestic slaves) in both places.[2]
From 1791 to 1803 the Haitian Revolution of slaves and free people of color on Saint-Domingue had embroiled the French colony in violence; blacks gained independence and created the republic of Haiti in 1804. Many whites and free people of color had fled to Charleston as refugees during the uprisings, bringing many of their slaves with them, who were referred to in the city as “French Negroes”. Their accounts of the revolts and its success spread rapidly among Charleston’s slaves.[13]
In the early 1800s, the state had voted to reopen its ports to importing slaves from Africa; this decision was highly controversial and opposed by many planters in the Lowcountry, who feared the influence of Africans on their slaves. It was pushed by planters in Upland areas who were developing new plantations of short-staple cotton, as its profitability had been made possible by the invention of the cotton gin. In the few years before the restrictions of the US ban on the international slave trade went into effect in 1808, some 50,000 African slaves were imported to Charleston. Some of these slaves were sold to the Uplands and other areas, but many of the new Africans were held in Charleston and on nearby Lowcountry plantations.[12]
Conspiracy
Even after gaining his freedom, Vesey continued to identify and socialize with many slaves and became increasingly set on helping his new friends break from the bonds of slavery. In 1819, Vesey became inspired by the congressional debates over the status of Missouri since slavery appeared to be under attack.[8]
Vesey developed followers among the mostly enslaved blacks in the Second Presbyterian Church and then the independent AME African Church. Its congregation represented more than 10% of the blacks in the city. They resented the harassment of city officials. Economic conditions in the Charleston area became difficult since an economic decline affected the city. In the year of 1820, Vesey and a few other slaves began to conspire and plan a revolt. In order for the revolt to be successful, Vesey had to recruit others and strengthen his army. Because Denmark Vesey was a preacher, when he had recruited enough followers, he would review the plans of the revolts with the others, at his home during the religious classes. Vesey had found a way to connect the freeing of slaves to the story in the Bible; delivering the children of Israel from Egyptian slavery.[14]
In his 50s, Vesey was a well-established carpenter with his own business. He reportedly planned the insurrection to take place on Bastille Day, July 14, 1822. This date was notable in association with the French Revolution, which had first abolished slavery in Saint-Domingue (Haiti). News of the plan was said to be spread among thousands of blacks throughout Charleston and for tens of miles through plantations along the Carolina coast. (Both the city and county populations were majority black; Charleston in 1820 had a population of 14,127 blacks and 10,653 whites.)[15] Within the black population was a growing upper class of free people of color or mulattos, some of whom were slaveholders.[10] Vesey generally aligned with slaves.
Vesey held numerous secret meetings and eventually gained the support of both slaves and free blacks throughout the city and countryside that were willing to fight for his cause. He managed to organize thousands of slaves who pledged to participate in his conspiracy. By using intimate family ties between those in the countryside and the city, Vesey created an extensive network of supporters
His plan was to form a coordinated attack from multiple sides on the Charleston Meeting Street Arsenal first. Then once they secured their weapons, the conspirators planned to commandeer ships from the harbor to immediately sail to Haiti, possibly with Haitian help.[2] Vesey and his followers also planned to kill white slaveholders throughout the city, as had been done in Haiti, and liberate the slaves. According to records of the French Consulate in Charleston, his group was reported to have numerous members who were “French Negroes,” slaves brought from Saint-Domingue by refugee masters during the Haitian Revolution two decades before.[13]