200 years ago, he tried to free slaves in Charleston. His legacy endures, historians say

Two hundred years ago, Denmark Vesey attempted to free Black slaves in Charleston by leading a bloody insurrection.

The plan failed, and Vesey was executed on July 2, 1822. But he helped inspire other abolitionists, and historians say his efforts still resonate today.

“What he tried to do was something that contributed to the coming of the American Civil War. That links Vesey as an actor to a main chapter to the development in America that affected history and heritage of the entire country,” historian Bernard Powers said.

Abolitionist Thomas Wentworth Higginson called it “the most elaborate insurrectionary project ever formed by American slaves.”

His message of freedom still reverberates today through ongoing conversations of social justice and equality.

“The fight for freedom has never stopped,” said Tamara Butler, executive director of the Avery Research Center for African-American History and Culture at the College of Charleston. “It precedes Vesey, it lives beyond him. We’re constantly fighting for freedom as a collective. Whether it’s Black Lives Matter, whether it’s voting rights, for example, this whole war on abortion, all of this is not new.”

Vesey was a carpenter and former slave who had purchased his freedom after winning a $1,500 lottery in 1799, according the National Park Service. On Bastille day, which is national French day, Vesey conspired for an insurrection in which slaves planned to killed their owners. After setting them free, his goal was to set sail to Haiti, which had just gained its freedom from the French, becoming the first country of slaves to free themselves.

This need for freedom came from seeing the treatment of his people. Vesey noticed the plight of others and selflessly ditched his own freedom to help the ones who needed it the most, according to Powers.

“He wanted more people to become free, he was not merely satisfied with his own freedom. That’s a value that I think is worth cultivating and worth inculcating,” Powers said.

“There’s no purpose in walking the streets and having a home and being able to be respected as a citizen when so many relatives and others you know don’t have that same freedom,” Butler said.

As Vesey was planning the insurrection, word of the revolt reached slave owners. Two people who were supposed to be a part of the plans leaked the information. Once they did, Vesey, along with 130 other men, were arrested. Vesey and 34 other men were hung. This is the largest number of people hung due to a slave revolt conspiracy in the United States, according to information included on a monument to Vesey in Charleston.

The African Church that Vesey pastored was destroyed by the authorities.

Denmark’s son Robert Vesey helped create Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, known today as Mother Emanuel AME Church.

Even though the original African Church was demolished due to racism and white supremacy, it didn’t stop the people of the AME Church as they showed their character in building something that’s in a similar light to what was infringed upon before them.

“The structure of Mother Emanuel is a Phoenix like episode. It shows the resiliency of Black people in general that we’re able to survive and not lose our spiritual lives, not lose our faith,” Powers said.

“The spirit of that church could not be destroyed,” Powers said.

Vesey influenced abolitionist Frederick Douglas. When Douglas was traveling to recruit Black troops to fight for the Union during the civil war, one of Frederick’s mottos were “remember Denmark Vesey of Charleston.”

“For Frederick Douglas, he was someone no different than George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Paul Revere and other members of the American founding generation who all pledged their lives to liberty,” Powers said.

“Vesey was a storied example, and that’s one who was committed to expanding freedom to the entire black population,” Powers said.

A statue of Denmark Vesey was was erected in 2014 on Hampton Park in Charleston. The statue is there for not only commemoration and remembrance, but also just to remind others that there are still things to fight for socially.

“Despite the daunting opposition, Vesey’s Spirit and liberating vision did not die,” according to information included on Vesey’s statue. “He became an inspiring symbol of freedom for later abolitionists including David Walker, John Brown, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Beecher Stowe. His resolve demonstrates the timeless universality of men and women’s desire for freedom and justice irrespective of race, creed, condition, or color.”

A panel talk about Vesey will be held July 14 at 7:30 p.m. The tickets start at $25. The panel will also include radio and TV personality Charlamagne tha GOD; Dr. Tonya M. Matthews, president and CEO of the International African American Museum; and comedian W. Kamau Bell.

On the next day, July 15, there will be a bicentenary in Vesey’s honor with a performance by RnB singer Anthony Hamilton starting at $35 and will begin at 8 p.m. On July 16, the bicentary continues with actor and entertainer D.L. Hugley as the headliner. The tickets for the 9 p.m. event on July 16 start at $52.

All events will be held at the Charleston Gillard center.