On this day in 1842, participants of the Creole Slave Revolt, one of the most successful slave revolts in American history, won their freedom after the Admiralty Court in Nassau of the West Indies declared mutineering slaves to be free.

The revolt aboard the slave ship Creole began on November 7th, 1841 and resulted in 128 enslaved people winning their freedom. On that day, 19 slaves aboard the ship mutinied and took control of the deck of the ship, killing one slave trader in the process. The rebels then demanded to be sailed to Liberia, but settled on the British West Indies instead, as the African coast was too far away.

The mutineers reached Nassau, a major port city in the West Indies two days later. They were detained and the British government considered charging the enslaved with piracy for liberating themselves.

The Admiralty Court in Nassau differed, however, and ordered the last mutineers to be released on April 16th, 1842, granting the participants of the revolt their freedom.