; Whereas infant and child mortality rates were twice as high among slave children as among Southern White children; Whereas enslaved people often worked from before sunup to after sundown, 6 to 7 days a week, often without food for long periods of time; Whereas enslaved Black families lived with the perpetual possibility of separation caused by the sale of 1 or more family members; Whereas it is estimated that approximately 1/3 of enslaved children in the upper South States of Maryland and Virginia experienced family separation in 1 of 3 possible scenarios: sale away from parents, sale with mother away from father, or sale of mother or father away from child; Whereas Nat Turner was born into slavery in Southampton County, Virginia, in 1800; Whereas Southampton County was home to many plantations, and enslaved people outnumbered free Whites; Whereas Turner learned to read and write at a young age, becoming deeply religious; Whereas Turner was sold to several different masters over the course of his life, the last time in 1830; Whereas Turner preached to fellow enslaved people, developing a loyal following; Whereas Turner began planning a revolt with a few trusted fellow enslaved men from neighboring plantations; Whereas Turner led a rebellion beginning in August 1831, quickly growing from a small handful of enslaved people to more than 70 enslaved and free Blacks; Whereas the rebels went from house to house in Southampton County, freeing enslaved people; Whereas the rebels were ultimately defeated by a State militia that had over twice the manpower of the rebels, with 3 artillery companies reinforcing it; Whereas Turner was captured 6 weeks after the rebellion was put down, whereupon he was promptly convicted and sentenced to death; Whereas, in retaliation for the uprising, Virginia officially executed 56 Black people, with at least 100 more killed by militias through extrajudicial violence