Walker's "Appeal" and the slave rebellion led by Nat Turner in Virginia in 1831 struck fear into the hearts of slaveowners. Though there is no evidence to suggest that the "Appeal" specifically informed or inspired Turner, it could have, since the two events were just a few years apart; whites were panicked about the possibility of future insurrections. Southern states passed laws restricting free blacks and slaves. Many white people in Virginia and neighboring North Carolina believed that Turner was inspired by Walker's "Appeal" or other abolitionist literature.