A unique account of the most successful slave rebellion in american history, now updated with a new epiloguefrom the awardwinning author of the. A unique account of the most successful slave rebellion in american history, now updated with a new epiloguefrom the awardwinning author of the slave ship in this powerful and highly original account, marcus rediker reclaims the amistad rebellion for its true proponents. On a moonless night, after four days at sea, the captive africans rose up, killed the captain, and seized control of the ship. Spanish for friendship was a 19thcentury twomasted schooner, owned by a spaniard living in cuba. Turners was the last largescale rebellion in the south. In 1839 fiftythree enslaved africans, led by a mende rice farmer named singbepieh, staged a bloody rebellion on board the amistad, a spanish slaver from cuba. Memory, slavery, and the politics of identity in the united states and sierra leone. The revolt and the subsequent trial cases in the united states are relevant to. It is a shame that spielberg did not have marcus redikers moving account of the amistad rebellion, which puts the focus where it always belonged. Journalists, artists, playwrights, abolitionists, proslavery ideologues, politicians, and diplomats became actively involved in the case. This documentbased question is designed for use with students who have studied amistad.
Paper presented at new directions in the study of the amistad rebellion and atlantic sierra leone, a workshop hosted by marcus rediker at the university of pittsburgh. This movie is a fictionalized account of the 1839 revolt by illegally enslaved africans aboard the spanish ship, le amistad. Amistad primary source analysis activity by students of. Navy vessel, abolitionists filed a court case to free the africans. Amistad mutiny, july 2, 1839, slave rebellion that took place on the slave ship amistad near the coast of cuba and had important political and legal repercussions in the american abolition movement. Feb 06, 2019 the amistad slave rebellion, 175 years ago. The mutineers were captured and tried in the united states, and a surprising victory for the. On june 28, 1839 a spanish schooner, ironically named. Seamen, captains, and pirates occupy a special place in our popular culture, yet until now the historical record of their lives has been remarkably neglected. Asking how and why the rebels succeeded, it emphasizes the african background and experience, as well as the fictive kinship that grew out of many. The federal courts and the challenge to slavery, by. This download includes a 1page introduction reading that explains all about the case of the amistad, fr.
An atlantic odyssey of slavery and freedom by rediker, marcus hardcover 2012118 aa on. The amistad slave rebellion, 175 years ago history. Amistad mutiny north americanafrican history britannica. The slaves had been kidnapped mostly from the neighborhood of the colony of sierra leone and sold to spanish slavers. Amistad 1998 the amistad revolt in january 1839, 53 african natives were kidnapped from eastern africa and sold into the spanish slave trade. Have not added any pdf format description on the amistad rebellion. An atlantic odyssey of slavery and freedom marcus rediker on.
While spielberg found his drama inside the courtroom, rediker. In 1839, a group of slaves collectively seized their freedom while on board the. Over the years the amistad rebellion has held the interest of many historians and even entered popular historical consciousness thanks to steven spielbergs 1997 film amistad. Pdf the african origins of the amistad rebellion, 1839. On june 28, 1839, the spanish slave schooner amistad set sail from havana on a routine delivery of human cargo. Amistad revolted to secure their freedom while being transported from one cuban port to another. This essay explores the amistad rebellion of 1839, in which fiftythree africans seized a slave schooner, sailed it to long island, new york, made an alliance with american abolitionists, and won. The dispute played out for month after monthserving the whatthenationistalkingabout role that might today be associated with an inescapable media event like the florida election fiasco of 2000, a longrunning celebrity scandal, or a major business upheaval. Nov 01, 2012 i dont think i could say enough for the amistad rebellion. The significance of the amistad case a documentbased question. In february of 1839, portuguese slave hunters abducted a large group of africans from sierra leone and shipped them to havana, cuba, a center for the slave trade. The mutineers were captured and tried in the united states, and a surprising victory for the countrys antislavery forces resulted in 1841 when the u.
In amistad mutiny place on the slave ship amistad near the coast of cuba and had important political and legal repercussions in the american abolition movement. May 01, 1997 amistad is the powerfully reimagined history of one of the countrys first battles for civil rights. It is important to note that the amistad case was a symbolically important. Mutiny slavery african american history amistad slave trade law slave rebellion global history and. Their leader was sengbe pieh, a young mende man, but popularly known in united states history as joseph cinque. Spielberg does a great job in recreating the amistad revolt that spurred a series of trials beginning in the lower courts of connecticut and ultimately ending in the supreme court. Croix, virgin islands 1640 1680 major increase of african captive labor in the british caribbean for sugar production. Setting context 17th century virginia tobacco plantation 1619 first enslaved africans brought to virginia.
This excellent activity for the famous amistad case is an excellent way to get your students to engage with primary source documents and learn about this fascinating moment in american history. Black mutiny on the amistad latin american studies. So, as a result, i think of all these things, the amistad rebellion became one of the best known events in the history of slavery and cinque, its leader, became, i think, one of the best known people associated with the same subject probably on a level with harriet tubman and frederic douglass, very widely known. The amistad case took place in 1839 when 53 illegally purchased african slaves were being transported from cuba to the u. The amistad rebellion by marcus rediker pdf, ebook read online. This abduction violated all of the treaties then in existence. On marcus redikers the amistad rebellion public sympathies and political outcomes over the amistad africans drifted in opposite directions. For more about the amistad case, check out mutiny on the amistad. Between the devil and the deep blue sea by marcus rediker. The saga of a slave revolt and its impact on american abolition, law, and diplomacy by howard jones.
T his essay explores the amistad rebellion of 1839, in which fiftythree africans seized a slave schooner, sailed it to long island, new york, made an alliance with american abolitionists, and won their freedom in a protracted legal battle. It was a gripping narrative, loaded with details, that really draws you into the history of the slave ship amistad. The case was a landmark event in the development of the american abolitionist movement. At the time of the amistad incident in 1839, there were millions of slaves in the south, but slavery was illegal in the north, where black people lived freely although still as second class citizens. Apr 08, 2015 this feature is not available right now. It became renowned in july 1839 for a slave revolt by mende captives, who had been captured by portuguese slave hunters in sierra leone in violation of all extant treaties and brought to cuba. Comprises a dramatic retelling of the amistad narrative, based on factual events of the mutiny and trial. Pdf the african origins of the amistad rebellion, 1839 marcus rediker academia.
The federal courts and the challenge to slavery 2 and others were ashore, the crew of the navy brig washington spotted the badly damaged amistad. Aug 03, 2018 for more about the amistad case, check out mutiny on the amistad. Turners rebellion sent shock waves through the south. Although the amistad case is undoubtedly the most famous example of a shipboard rebellion, it was by no means the only such incident in the history of the slave tradeother notable examples include uprisings on the ships decatur 1826, lafayette 1829, and creole 1841.
The amistad case serves as a kind of pivotpoint between the uneasy racial compromises of the constitution and the later tumult of the civil war. The amistad rebellion an atlantic odyssey of slavery and rebellion. Narratives of faith and violence in the amistad affair. An atlantic odyssey of slavery and freedom rediker, marcus on. Pdf this essay explores the amistad rebellion of 1839, in which fiftythree africans seized a slave schooner, sailed it to long island, new. See all books between the devil and the deep blue sea merchant seamen, pirates and the angloamerican maritime world, 17001750. All i knew previously about the amistad was gleamed from the 1997 film, which i only saw once when i was in high school. The african origins of the amistad rebellion, 1839. They were then placed aboard a spanish slave ship bound for havana, cuba. A few of the amistad rebels stayed with the missionaries, including the four children, who all took english names, but most apparently made a. In 1839 a portuguese slave trader purchased a cargo of about 50 kidnapped african natives from a spaniard involved in the slave trade on the guinea coast of west africa.