Prince Klaas, also known as King Court, Tackey, or by his African name, Kwaku, was an enslaved Antiguan who was a posthumous recipient of the Most Exalted Order of the National Hero.

[2] In order to establish an independent African-ruled Kingdom of Antigua and destroy the colonial white administration, Klaas launched a slave uprising that was put down.

[3][4][5] In 1736, on the island of Antigua, an enslaved African known as Prince Klaas (whose real name was thought to be Court or Kwaku Takyi) planned an uprising in which whites would be massacred.

[4] A 10-gallon barrel of gunpowder would be smuggled into the venue and blown up during a large ball honoring King George II in late October 1736 with the intention of killing every European there.

The explosion's noise would serve as a warning signal for the allied slave Africans to attack every white person they saw, sparking a carnage that would make Prince Klaas the new ruler of Antigua.