preview

Amistad Essay

Better Essays

Vanessa Breslow Professor Dublin
11/17/99 History 103-3

L’Amistad

The Amistad, ironically a ship that means “friendship,” was the setting of one of the most historical slave revolts led by black Africans in 1839. This revolt gained considerable attention from the …show more content…

Deciding he had nothing to lose by trying to get free, Cinque led others on board in a rebellion against the ship, killing the ship’s captain and the cook. Two other crewmembers either died during the revolt or jumped off the ship to try to reach shore. Only one slave died during the uprising.
The slaves on board, with Cinque in charge, ordered Ruiz and Montes to sail to Africa. In hope of being rescued, the two men instead pursued a different course, that which would lead them down Atlantic Ocean, where they would eventually reach the United States, along the coast of Long Island. As Cinque and some others left the ship, members of the U.S.S. Washington came on board. The Africans were charged with murder and mutiny, and they were transported to New Haven, Conn. to await trial. The rebellion on board the ship immediately caught the attention of abolitionists Lewis Tappan, Joshua Leavitt, Simeon Jocelyn. Together they rallied for public support and established themselves as the Amistad Committee , a precursor to the American Missionary Association. They conducted a nationwide appeal for funds to provide for the legal defense. They saw the Amistad blacks as noble savages, who though untutored in education or religion, realized the value of freedom. While genuinely and sincerely committed to fighting

Get Access