The rebellion was originally planned for July 4, 1831. The date was deliberate. Turner understood the symbolism of American independence. Illness delayed the effort, and the group regrouped in August. On the night of August 21, Turner and six others began the uprising at the Travis plantation, where Turner was enslaved.

In 1929, W.E.B. Du Bois debated T. Lothrop Stoddard in what should be one of the most remembered intellectual battles in U.S. history. Du Bois stood for reason, dignity, and democracy. Stoddard stood for eugenics, white nationalism, and the fear of a multiracial future.