1842 Slave Revolt in the Cherokee Nation facts for kids

The 1842 Slave Escape in the Cherokee Nation was the biggest escape of enslaved people in the Cherokee Nation. This area was then known as Indian Territory. The escape began on November 15, 1842. A group of 20 African-American enslaved people, owned by the Cherokee, ran away. They hoped to reach Mexico, where slavery was against the law.

As they traveled south, 15 more enslaved people joined them. These new members were escaping from the Creek Nation in Indian Territory. The group later met two men who caught runaway slaves. These men were taking an enslaved family back to the Choctaw Nation. The escaping group freed the family, and they joined the journey.

Some of the escaping people were caught or killed early on. But the Cherokee leaders gathered a large armed group of over 100 warriors. These warriors from the Cherokee and Choctaw nations chased the runaways. Five of the enslaved people were later punished for what happened to the slave catchers. This 1842 event was a very important act of rebellion against slavery among the Cherokee. It also inspired other escapes in the Indian Territory. After this escape, the Cherokee Nation made stricter rules about slavery. They also forced freed people to leave their land. They even created a special group to catch runaway slaves.

Why the Escape Happened

Slavery Among the Cherokee

Before Europeans arrived, the Cherokee sometimes enslaved prisoners from other Indian tribes. Later, in the late 1700s, some Cherokee families started large farms called plantations. These farms were like those in the American South. They bought African-American enslaved people to work on these lands.

By 1819, the Cherokee Nation made rules about slavery. These rules controlled the buying and selling of enslaved people. They also stopped marriages between different races. The rules set punishments for runaways and kept enslaved people from owning property.

Life as an Enslaved Person

The Cherokee learned about using enslaved African Americans on plantations from European Americans. Most Cherokee families owned fewer enslaved people. They often worked alongside them on small farms. Enslaved people mainly worked in farming. They grew crops like cotton for their owners to sell. They also grew food for everyone to eat. Some enslaved people had special skills. They worked as seamstresses or blacksmiths. Wealthy Cherokee families used enslaved people as a flexible workforce. They built big farms, salt mines, and trading posts using enslaved labor.

The Journey West

The Cherokee brought many enslaved people with them during the Indian Removal. This was in the 1820s and 1830s. The U.S. government forced them to move from their homes in the Southeast. For example, Joseph Vann brought 200 enslaved people with him. Enslaved Black people did much of the hard work during this move. They loaded wagons, cleared paths, and guided animals.

By 1835, about 1,500 enslaved people of African descent lived among the Cherokee. This was the most among the Five Civilized Tribes. Within five years of moving, about 300 mixed-race Cherokee families became very powerful. Most of these families owned 25 to 50 enslaved people each. Some of their farms were very large, growing many different crops.

By 1860, the Cherokee owned about 4,600 enslaved people. They relied on them for farm work and household chores. Before the Civil War, over 8,000 enslaved people lived in all of Indian Territory. They made up 14 percent of the population there.

The Escape of 1842

The Start of the Journey

The large escape of 20 enslaved African Americans from Cherokee land began on November 15, 1842. This event is called "the most spectacular act of rebellion against slavery" among the Cherokee. Most of these 20 people were from the farms of "Rich Joe" Vann and his father James. They gathered supplies like weapons, ammunition, horses, and mules. They left Webbers Falls safely and headed south. Their goal was Mexico, where slavery had been banned since 1836.

Along the way, 15 more enslaved people joined them. These new members were escaping from Creek land. Some Cherokee and Creek people chased the runaways. The escaping group fought back. In one fight, 14 enslaved people were either killed or captured. But the remaining 21 kept going south. The Cherokee and Creek pursuers went back to get more help.

Facing Challenges

Later, the escaping group met two men who caught runaway slaves. These men were James Edwards and Billy Wilson. They were taking an enslaved family of three adults and five children back to Choctaw land. The escaping group freed the family. The slave catchers died during this encounter. The larger group continued south, but traveling with five children made them slower.

On November 17, the Cherokee National Council in Tahlequah took action. They allowed Cherokee Militia Captain John Drew to gather 100 citizens. Their job was to "pursue, arrest, and deliver the African Slaves to Fort Gibson." The leader at Fort Gibson gave Drew gunpowder for his group.

The Capture

The large group of pursuers caught up with the escaping people on November 28. This was seven miles north of the Red River. The runaways were tired and hungry. They did not fight back. They were forced to return to their owners in the Choctaw, Creek, and Cherokee areas. The Cherokee later punished five enslaved people for what happened to Edwards and Wilson. Joseph Vann made most of his surviving enslaved people work on his steamboats, shoveling coal.

This escape inspired other slave rebellions in the Indian Territory. By 1851, almost 300 Black people had tried to escape from Indian Territory. Most headed for Mexico or the area that would become Kansas Territory. Slavery was not allowed in Kansas.

What Happened Next

Economic Changes

Indian slaveholders bought and sold enslaved people. They often traded with white slaveholders in nearby Texas and Arkansas. Owners in both areas saw enslaved Africans as property.

After the escape, the Cherokee often hired Native Americans who did not own slaves to catch runaways. In the past, some of these people had struggled to find food. Meanwhile, slave-owning families became rich from slave labor. Some of these once-poor Cherokee became wealthy by helping the 'rescue' company catch runaway slaves. They were paid for these expeditions. They could also buy supplies for the hunt, with the Nation paying the cost.

New Rules and Lasting Impact

The escape threatened the owners' workforce and their profits. So, the Cherokee Nation made stricter rules about slavery. They also required free Black people to leave the territory. They believed free Black people caused unhappiness among enslaved people. After the American Civil War, wealthy Cherokee families changed their focus. They moved from large-scale farming to making smaller products. These products were sold within the Nation instead of being sent out.

The 1842 slave escape was a mass escape that led to deaths. Newspapers widely reported it. Even 50 years later, a newspaper called the Fort Smith Elevator published an article about the escape. The story had become almost like a legend. It said that "hundreds" of enslaved people had disappeared overnight, instead of the actual 20.

The slaveholder Joseph Vann died two years later in 1844, in a steamboat accident.