In the wake of the revolt, the state executed 56 enslaved people accused of participating. Additionally, white militias killed approximately 120 others in retaliatory violence. The rebellion led to the passage of stricter "Black Codes" across the South, which further restricted the education, movement, and assembly of both enslaved and free Black people. "The Confessions of Nat Turner":
Turner’s revolt shattered the Southern myth of the "contented slave." In response, Southern legislatures passed draconian laws prohibiting the education, movement, and assembly of Black people, both enslaved and free. Nat Turner became a permanent symbol of uncompromising resistance—a reminder that the desire for human dignity cannot be legislated away. Sugar, Power, and the Birth of "Toni Sweets" toni sweets a brief american history with nat turner best