Denmark Vesey (ca. 1767–1822) was a former slave who planned a major insurrection in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1822. Vesey, who may have been born in Africa, purchased his freedom after winning the lottery in 1799. Vesey spent more than twenty years living as a free man and working as a carpenter in Charleston. Around 1817 or 1818, Vesey began planning a major uprising of thousands of slaves and free blacks. The insurrection was planned for July 14, 1822, but before it could be carried out, a slave Vesey had tried to recruit informed...