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Result of the lawsuit concerning the Creole slave ship...

Death of Francis Scott Key, author of the "Star Spangled Banner"...



Item # 652410

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January 14, 1843

NILES'S NATIONAL REGISTER, Baltimore, Jan. 14, 1843 
The back page has the noteworthy but small report under the "death" reports noting: "Francis Key, esq. late U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, died suddenly whilst on a visit to his son-in-law, Mr. Howard, of Baltimore on the 12th instant. He was a man of a very high order of talent...He was author of the deservedly popular national song, "The Star Spangled Banner"--and every banner waved yesterday half mast in mourning at the announcement of his death..." with a bit more.
The back page has an article headed: "The Creole Case", which was a slave ship upon which the slaves mutinied, a rather infamous event in American history.
The Creole case was the result of an American slave revolt in November, 1841 on board the Creole, a ship involved in the United States slave trade. As 128 slaves gained freedom after the rebels ordered the ship sailed to Nassau, it has been termed the most successful slave revolt in U.S. history. Two persons died as a result of the revolt, a black slave and a white slave trader (see hyperlink for more).
This report notes that: "The action before the commercial court...against the New Orleans Insurance company to recover the sum of $20,000 insurance on the slaves who some time ago committed mutiny and insurrection on board the schooner Creole...was brought to a close...the jury returning a verdict of $18,000 for the plaintiff...".
Another article on the back page is headed: "Slave Cases" concerning: "...a black man named John, residing at Brownsville...recently arrested & claimed as a slave...alleged that said slave left his services some 15 years ago..." with a bit more (see).
Complete in 16 pages, measures 8 3/4 by 11 3/4 inches, has lite damp staining, otherwise is in good condition.

This small size newspaper began in 1811 and was a prime source for national political news of the first half of the 19th century. As noted in Wikipedia: "Niles edited and published the Weekly Register until 1836, making it into one of the most widely-circulated magazines in the United States and himself into one of the most influential journalists of his day. Devoted primarily to politics, Niles' Weekly Register is considered an important source for the history of the period."

Category: Pre-Civil War