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The Creole Affair: The Slave Rebellion that Led the U.S. and Great Britain to the Brink of War
  • Date: Wednesday, July 22, 2015
  • Time: 4:00 pm
  • Location: William G. McGowan Theater, Washington, DC

Author Arthur Downey discusses the most successful slave rebellion in American history. Held against their will aboard the Creole—a slave ship on its way from Richmond to New Orleans in 1841—the rebels seized control of the ship and changed course to the Bahamas. Because the Bahamas were subject to British rule of law, the slaves were eventually set free, and their presence on foreign soil sparked one of America’s most contentious diplomatic battles with the United Kingdom.

A book signing follows the program. Purchase this book on the day of the event from the myArchives Store and receive a 15% discount (members get 20% off).

All public programs at the National Archives are free and streamed live online via the National Archives’ YouTube channel. Reservations are recommended; seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The doors to the building will open 45 minutes prior to the start of the program. Use the Special Events entrance on the corner of Constitution Avenue and 7th Street, NW. Click here for more information on getting to the National Archives and parking.Live captioning will be available online and in the William G. McGowan Theater. If you require an alternative or additional accommodation for an event (such as a downloadable transcript or a sign language interpreter), please send an email to public.program@nara.gov or call 202-357-5000 in advance.