The Amistad Mutiny (EOTO 1)

In our last class activity, My group and I researched our own topics to teach to the class and then presented them. I taught a short summary of the events of the Amistad Mutiny. The Amistad Mutiny and the case that followed was one of the first wins for abolitionists in the Supreme Court (United States v. The Amistad). In this blog post, I will give a more detailed presentation of my research.

Sometime between 1838 and 1839, 53 Africans were kidnapped by slave traders somewhere near Sierra Leone or Liberia. They were then sold on the island of Lomboko by a Spanish slave trader and shipped to the Spanish colony of Cuba. At the Havana slave auction in June 1839, plantation owners Pedro Montes and José Ruiz purchased and ordered them to be shipped to their plantation on the other side of Cuba.

Joseph Cinqué

Four days after they set sail on June 28th, Joseph Cinqué (a captured African) lead the slaves to revolt and take over the ship, killing the captain and one crew member. Cinqué and the others ordered the remaining crew to sail back to Africa. During the day, the crew complied, but during the night, the crew sailed north towards the United States hoping to hit land.

On August 26th, the crew's hopes were answered; they were intercepted off the coast of Long Island by the U.S. government. The Spanish crew was set free, and slaves were imprisoned in New Haven, Connecticut to await their trial for murder and mutiny. President Martin Van Buren would've likely ordered for the slaves to be extradited to Cuba to stand trial, but they were charged in the U.S. before he could take action.

Hale Woodruff's rendition of the mutiny

Around this point, the events of the Amistad had become nationwide news. Abolitionists saw this as a chance to both help prevent slavery and present their views on a national platform, so they formed a committee to raise funds for the slaves' defense. Along with donations from abolitionists tourists paid 12 cents for glimpses of the slaves and could purchase memorabilia. Roger Baldwin, an attorney who would later become the governor of Connecticut, led the defense for the slaves.

The slaves' story of their kidnapping was crucial for the defense. The defense was able to find an African man who knew the slaves' language (Mende), along with a British seaman who also knew Mende. Since the slaves were kidnapped from Africa in 1838, they could not be considered slaves under Spanish law, as Spain had banned the importation of slaves to its colonies in 1817 in a treaty with the British government. This ban was entirely ignored by most Spanish colonies and the Spanish government anyway, but it was crucial in a court of law.

Hale Woodruff's rendition of the district court case

Using the argument that the Africans could not legally be slaves under Spanish law, the defense was able to win the district court case in Connecticut. However, the prosecution appealed to the circuit court, where the same conclusion was reached. The prosecution appealed once more. This time, they appealed to the Supreme Court, and the case was accepted. The abolitionists feared this, as the pro-slavery Democratic party held a majority in the court. So, they sook assistance from former President John Quincy Adams in the case.

To the surprise of many, the court overwhelmingly sided with the defense, 7 to 1. Even if the Justices supported the institution of slavery, there was no arguing that Spanish law forbade the importation of slaves into its colonies: regardless if it was enforced or not. Still, the abolitionists were forced to raise funds to return the Africans to their homes themselves, but the government would not cover the cost.

Margru, who was given the 
English name Sarah Kinson

35 of the Africans did eventually return home in 1841, but only a few stories of what happened after remain. The most complete one is of Margru, a young girl. She came to the U.S. to attend and graduate from Oberlin College and return to Africa as a missionary. Joseph Cinqué resurfaced in an African Christian mission in 1879 where he died and received a Christian burial.