Self-Emancipation on the High Seas: The Creole Slave Mutiny of 1841 in Legal and Diplomatic Perspective

The mutiny by enslaved captives on board the U.S. brig Creole in the fall of 1841 was the most successful high-seas uprising in the history of the American coastal slave trade. It gave rise to a major diplomatic dispute with the British, resulted in extensive litigation in the courts of Louisiana, and was later the subject of an important international arbitration. Self-Emancipation on the High Seas considers these matters in detail and reflects on the significance of the mutiny and its place in the history of slavery and its abolition.

About the Author :
William C. Gilmore is professor emeritus of international criminal law at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and author of The Confederate Jurist: The Legal Life of Judah P. Benjamin.

Review :
"In November 1841, enslaved rebels seized a U.S. slave ship and steered it to the British West Indies, where more than one hundred captives gained their liberty. A major diplomatic and legal rupture over property rights and human rights ensued between Washington and London. William C. Gilmore narrates this fascinating dispute and its dramatis personae in succinct, readable, and window-pane prose. The echoes of this remarkable history can still be detected in diplomatic disputes over migrants seeking liberty across international borders." - Jeffrey R. Kerr-Ritchie, author of Rebellious Passage: The Creole Revolt and America's Coastal Slave Trade "William C. Gilmore's well-researched and elegantly written work combines meticulous legal analysis with a powerful narrative. His study illustrates the details of a case that, for its significance, still resonates in the contemporary debate about international law, fundamental rights, and the very concepts of humanity and justice." - Giorgio F. Colombo, author of Justice and International Law in Meiji Japan: The María Luz Incident and the Dawn of Modernity "The uprising aboard the Creole was the most successful slave mutiny in our history, but as dramatic as that moment was, even more intriguing was the aftermath when the captured ship reached the Bahamas, and its captors claimed their freedom. William C. Gilmore's penetrating Self-Emancipation on the High Seas reveals how the question of liberty for the enslaved led to international diplomatic complications. A fine work, well-conceived and well-crafted." - William C. Davis, author of The Greatest Fury: The Battle of New Orleans and the Rebirth of America