The Many Uses of Denmark Vesey: Exploring the Evolving Memory of Slavery through Interpretations of Vesey’s Insurrection Plot

Abstract

This article examines the role that Denmark Vesey and his insurrection plot has played in history, culture, and memory in the almost 200 years since Denmark Vesey’s unfinished plot to lead a slave revolt in 1822. Beginning with the different reactions of Vesey’s White and Black contemporaries and ending with the erection of Vesey’s monument in downtown Charleston in 2014, this article concludes that Vesey, like so many prominent figures in the long African American resistance, was often used as a stand-in for ideological shifts around slavery, violence, and resistance. This article utilizes histories of slavery, plays, radio shows, and film to illustrate the long-lasting impact that Vesey has had on different groups’ cultural and historical understanding of rebellion and revolt.