On November 15, 1842, a group of about 20 enslaved African Americans owned by Cherokee planters escaped from their plantations near Webbers Falls in the Cherokee Nation (present-day Oklahoma) and attempted to reach Mexico, where slavery had been abolished in 1829. The fugitives were joined by others, killing two slave catchers, before they were pursued by more than 100 Cherokee and Choctaw warriors. Five of the escapees were executed, but the revolt became known as the largest and most spectacular act of rebellion against slavery among the Five Civilized Tribes, inspiring further resistance in the Indian Territory.

The 1842 revolt has been featured in historical accounts and in contemporary Native American and African American literature that explores the intersection of Black and Indigenous histories. The event appears in works such as Tiya Miles's 'The House on Diamond Hill' and in poetry that examines the complex relationships between enslaved people and their Native American enslavers. The revolt has become a symbol of resistance against oppression in the context of America's westward expansion.