Since February 1831, Turner has come to believe that certain atmospheric phenomena should be interpreted as a sign that he should begin preparing for rebellion against slaveholders. On February 11, 1831, the state of Virginia observed a solar eclipse. Turner saw in it the hand of the black man who closed the sun, and he accepted this vision as a sign. The uprising was originally scheduled for July 4, Independence Day, but was postponed due to his illness. On August 13 there was another solar eclipse, in which the sun of bluish-green color appeared. Turner took it as a final signal, and a week later, on August 21, he began a rebellion.
