Madison Washington was an American enslaved man who led a slave rebellion in America on November 7, 1841, on board the

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the latter part ...

'' Creole,'' which was transporting 134 other slaves from

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...

for sale in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

coastwise slave trade The coastwise slave trade existed along the eastern coastal areas of the United States in the antebellum years prior to 1861. Shiploads and boatloads of slaves in the domestic trade were transported from place to place on the waterways. Hundreds of ...

. On the night of Nov. 7, 1841, Washington led 18 of his fellow slaves into rebellion, killing slave trader John R. Hewell and subduing the crew. Taking control of the ''Creole,'' they commanded that it be sailed to Nassau, which was a British colony. The

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

had already abolished slavery in 1833 in the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading post ...

. Despite American protests, the British declared the slaves to be free persons under their law and refused American demands for their return. The British authorities in Nassau took Washington and his 17 conspirators into custody under charges of mutiny. A special session of the

Admiralty Court Admiralty courts, also known as maritime courts, are courts exercising jurisdiction over all maritime contracts, torts, injuries, and offences. Admiralty courts in the United Kingdom England and Wales Scotland The Scottish court's earliest ...

heard the case, but ruled in favor of the men and freed them in April 1842. The remaining 116 slaves had achieved freedom immediately in the preceding fall. Five had remained on the ship and chose to return to the United States and slavery. As 128 slaves gained freedom resulting from this revolt, it is considered the most successful in United States history.

Legacy among abolitionists

* The abolitionist

Henry Highland Garnet Henry Highland Garnet (December 23, 1815 – February 13, 1882) was an African-American abolitionist, minister, educator and orator. Having escaped as a child from slavery in Maryland with his family, he grew up in New York City. He was educat ...

praised Madison Washington in his 1843 "Address to the Slaves of the United States," calling Madison Washington a "bright star of freedom" who "took his station in the constellation of true heroism." This call for open rebellion was considered too radical for abolitionist

William Lloyd Garrison William Lloyd Garrison (December , 1805 – May 24, 1879) was a prominent American Christian, abolitionist, journalist, suffragist, and social reformer. He is best known for his widely read antislavery newspaper ''The Liberator'', which he foun ...

. *

Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, February 1817 or 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. After escaping from slavery in Maryland, he becam ...

wrote a novella, ''

The Heroic Slave ''The Heroic Slave, a Heartwarming Narrative of the Adventures of Madison Washington, in Pursuit of Liberty'' is a short piece of fiction, or novella, written by abolitionist Frederick Douglass, at the time a fugitive slave based in Boston. When ...

'' (1853), whose lead character was inspired by and named Madison Washington. This short story is considered one of the first known pieces of African-American fictional literature.Douglass, Frederick. ''The Heroic Slave''
, full text with commentary. *

William Wells Brown William Wells Brown (c. 1814 – November 6, 1884) was a prominent abolitionist lecturer, novelist, playwright, and historian in the United States. Born into slavery in Montgomery County, Kentucky, near the town of Mount Sterling, Brown escape ...

included a chapter on Madison Washington in his book
''The Black Man: His Antecedents, His Genius, and His Achievements''.
New York: Thomas Hamilton; Boston: R.F. Wallcut, 1863. *

Lydia Maria Child Lydia Maria Child ( Francis; February 11, 1802October 20, 1880) was an American abolitionist, women's rights activist, Native American rights activist, novelist, journalist, and opponent of American expansionism. Her journals, both fiction and ...

included a chapter on Madison Washington in her book, (1865).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Washington, Madison American rebel slaves Slave rebellions in the United States 19th-century American slaves Fugitive American slaves

Legacy among abolitionists

See also

References