What effect did Nat Turners Rebellion in 1831 have on souther society?

It radicalized anti-black sentiments and provoked a furious legal response that further entrenched the peculiar institution of slavery.

Indeed, the first reaction was to avenge the lives of Turner's white victims and over 120 black slaves were killed by lynching militias in the State of Virginia and South Carolina. Other 56 slaves were sentenced to death by judges in these states. Several of the victims were not even slaves but free blacks who lived in the area and most of the victims had not even participated in the revolt.

The judicial response was also swift and draconian: teaching slaves, free blacks or even mulattoes to read was declared illegal. All black religious services were compelled to have a white religious minister as observer to make sure that no anti-white or anti-slavery sermons were given.

At least a further 200 slaves were murdered by white mobs fuelled by the hysterical climate that followed the revolt. Nat Turner's rebellion raised southern fears of a general slave uprising and had a profound effect on the attitude of Southerners towards slavery.