The Creole Mutiny: A Tale of Revolt Aboard a Slave Ship

The Creole Mutiny: A Tale of Revolt Aboard a Slave Ship

A tale of revolt aboard a nineteenth-century slave ship and the story of the slaves' heroic leader, Madison Washington. In the early 1840s, the slave ship Creole departed from the east coast of the American South en route to New Orleans with more than 130 slaves as cargo and some white common passengers. While off the coast of Abaco, a Bahamian island, the slaves rebelled, killed the captain, took control of the ship, and succeeded in finding freedom in the British-controlled Bahamas. Using court records and insurance documents, the Hendricks reconstructed this little-known tale of slave revolt at sea under the leadership of Madison Washington, an escaped slave who set about freeing a slave woman he loved. Slave narratives of the time provide the emotional underpinnings of this dramatic revolt. Insurance records and court documents detail the efforts of the slave owners to recover the loss of their "property" through insurance claims and compensation from the British for setting the slaves free. This compelling history is particularly fascinating as a look at international law and the differing social policies of the U.S and Britain regarding slavery at the time. Vernon Ford Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved “The most accurate story to date...meticulous research and attention to the historical landscape.” ―Andrea Lynn, Indianapolis Recorder “Fascinating...compelling history.” ―Vernon Ford, Booklist “In their concise narrative and analysis...George and Willene Hendrick disentangle myth from meaning and contextualize the revolt.” ―John David Smith, author of Lincoln and the U.S. Colored Troops and We Ask Only for Even-Handed Justice “...The book is an amazing feat of research.” ― New York Resident “...A compelling, fascinating retelling...” ― Sir Read Alot Book Review “…A valuable tool for some original resarch in pointing the reader to the excellent sources in its bibliography and notes.” ― Kliatt “...A lively read that will hopefully encourage futher consideration of the late antebellum slave trade among serious students of history.” ― Louisiana History “...This handsome and well-written volume…spin[s] a tale of unrequited love and a quest for freedom...” ― Journal of Southern History On the night of November 7, 1841, the Creole was transporting slaves from Richmond, Virginia, to the auction block at New Orleans. A band of slaves led by Marion Washington seized the crew and its captain. Over the next several days they forced the Creole to sail into Nassua harbor, where the British authorities offered freedom to the slaves aboard, touching off a diplomatic squabble and continuing legal ramifications. George Hendrick was formerly professor of English at the University of Illinois, Urbana. Used Book in Good Condition