Madison Washington
Encyclopedia
Madison Washington was the instigator of a slave revolt on board the brig
Creole
in 1841. This slave ship
was transporting Washington, the ship's slave cook, as well as 134 other slaves from Virginia
to New Orleans.
On the night of Nov. 7, 1841, Washington incited 18 of his fellow slaves into rebellion, where they took control of the Creole and commanded that it be sailed to Nassau
, under British control. Great Britain
had already ended slavery in its nation and colonies. Despite American protests, the British did not return the slaves and declared them to be free persons. However, the British did imprison Washington and his 18 conspirators under charges of mutiny
. The British, sympathizing with Washington and his fellows, released them after several weeks of imprisonment. The remaining 116 slaves achieved freedom immediately.
Frederick Douglass
based his 1853 novella The Heroic Slave
on Madison Washington and named his lead character after him. Douglass embellished the historical facts for his novella, making it the first known piece of African American fictional literature.
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
Creole
Creole case
The Creole case was the result of a slave rebellion in 1841 on board the Creole, a ship involved in the United States coastwise slave trade.-The revolt:...
in 1841. This slave ship
Slave ship
Slave ships were large cargo ships specially converted for the purpose of transporting slaves, especially newly purchased African slaves to Americas....
was transporting Washington, the ship's slave cook, as well as 134 other slaves from Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
to New Orleans.
On the night of Nov. 7, 1841, Washington incited 18 of his fellow slaves into rebellion, where they took control of the Creole and commanded that it be sailed to Nassau
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
, under British control. Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
had already ended slavery in its nation and colonies. Despite American protests, the British did not return the slaves and declared them to be free persons. However, the British did imprison Washington and his 18 conspirators under charges of mutiny
Mutiny
Mutiny is a conspiracy among members of a group of similarly situated individuals to openly oppose, change or overthrow an authority to which they are subject...
. The British, sympathizing with Washington and his fellows, released them after several weeks of imprisonment. The remaining 116 slaves achieved freedom immediately.
Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass was an American social reformer, orator, writer and statesman. After escaping from slavery, he became a leader of the abolitionist movement, gaining note for his dazzling oratory and incisive antislavery writing...
based his 1853 novella The Heroic Slave
The Heroic Slave
The Heroic Slave, a Thrilling Narrative of the Adventures of Madison Washington, in Pursuit of Liberty is a short piece of fiction written by famous abolitionist Frederick Douglass. When the Rochester Ladies' Anti Slavery Society asked Douglass for a short story to go in their collection,...
on Madison Washington and named his lead character after him. Douglass embellished the historical facts for his novella, making it the first known piece of African American fictional literature.