Madison Washington

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Madison Washington was the instigator of a slave revolt onboard the Creole. This slave ship was transporting Washington, the ship's slave cook, as well as 134 other slaves from Virginia to New Orleans. Washington incited 18 of his fellow slaves into rebellion, where they took control of the Creole and commanded that it be sailed to British-controlled Nassau. Despite American protests, the British did not return the slaves and declared them to be free men. However, Washington and his 18 conspirators were imprisoned under charges of mutiny. The British, sympathizing with Washington and his fellows, eventually released them after several months imprisonment.

Washington is the eponymous hero of Frederick Douglass's 1852 novel, The Heroic Slave.