Final answer:
Nat Turner led a slave uprising influenced by the religious fervor of the Second Great Awakening and his own spiritual visions, seeking to fight against slavery, which led to significant cultural and legal repercussions in the antebellum South.
Step-by-step explanation:
Nat Turner led a slave uprising due to several compelling factors influenced by the religious and social climate of his era. As a literate, deeply religious man, Turner was inspired by the evangelical fervor of the Second Great Awakening, which stressed individual religion and the salvation of the soul. Born into slavery in Southampton County, Virginia, he became convinced that his spiritual visions were a call from the Holy Spirit to fight against the institution of slavery.
Believing that an eclipse in August 1831 was the sign he had awaited, Turner and his followers initiated one of the largest slave rebellions in United States history. Despite the rebellion being suppressed quickly and resulting in severe consequences for many African Americans, both enslaved and free, it marked a significant moment in the antebellum South and amplified discussions about slavery.
The subsequent crackdown on educational and religious freedoms among black communities underscored the fear and tensions surrounding the potential for slave uprisings incited by literate and organized black leaders.