The Creole Incident: The beginning of the end of slavery

The Creole Incident investigates events that occurred between May of 1836 and June 1842. This investigation reveals the attempt by Southern members of Congress to reform the Constitution in order to legalize slavery under Federal jurisprudence. It further reveals the unconstitutional attempt by Southern members of both Houses of Congress to stem the flow of protest by the growing number of abolitionists that demanded an end to slavery. The Southern slave owners made it abundantly clear that if they could not put an end to a call for abolition, they would act to legislate a legal secession from the Union.

What stood in their way were a few select members of Congress, a handful of radical abolitionists and nineteen individuals - who were all slaves. They came together to orchestrate a series of resolutions that would break the Southern stranglehold on legislation. We witness the moment when the Southern slave interests reach their legislative high-water mark as they attempt to take over the government and, either reform the Constitution, or enact a legal separation of the slave states.

At the heart of the story is an individual who will stop at nothing to free his wife from thralldom. Although he reaches Canada and freedom, he elects to return to Virginia to attempt the rescue of his wife from slavery. He is captured, put in chains and sold South to the highest bidder. Yet, his story will play a pivotal role in this struggle to gain control of the government. His actions onboard the brig Creole on the night of November 7, 1841 set in motion a sequence of events that would culminate in a series of floor fights in the House of Representatives as the balance of power preciously hangs between North and South.

In the end we witness the result of this struggle that places the South in a slow decent into illegal secession, Civil War, the total destruction of Southern industry and the end of a peculiar institution.