La Amistad (Spanish: "Friendship") was a 19th-century two-masted schooner of about 120 feet. The mast of a sailing ship is a tall vertical or near vertical Spar, or arrangement of Spars which supports the Sails Large ships have several masts A schooner (ˈskuːnɚ is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts Schooners were first used by the Built in the United States, La Amistad was originally named Friendship but was renamed after being purchased by a Spaniard. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. La Amistad became a symbol in the movement to abolish slavery after a group of African captives aboard revolted in July 1839. Abolitionism was a political movement of the 18th and 19th century which sought to make Slavery illegal particularly in the United States and British West Indies As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another Its recapture resulted in a legal battle over their status. The Amistad, 40 US (15 Pet 518 (1841 was a United States Supreme Court case resulting from the rebellion of slaves on board the Spanish

Contents 1 The Incident 2 The Ship 2.1 More Ships 3 Later years 4 La Amistad in culture 4.1 Freedom Schooner Amistad 4.1.1 The Atlantic Freedom Tour 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

The Incident

On July 2, 1839, 53 Africans (49 adults and 4 children) being carried aboard La Amistad from Havana were led by fellow captive Sengbe Peah, known in America as Joseph Cinqué, in a revolt against their captors. Events 310 - Pope Miltiades is elected 626 - In fear of assassination Li Shimin ambushes and kills his rival Year 1839 ( MDCCCXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Havana ( IPA: aˈβana officially Ciudad de La Habana, is the Capital city, major port and leading Sengbe Pieh (1813 &ndash ca 1879 later known as Joseph Cinqué, was a West African man of the Mende ethnic group and was the most prominent defendant After gaining control of the ship, the Africans demanded to be returned home, but the ship’s navigator deceived them about their course, and sailed them north along the North American coast to Long Island, New York. Long Island is an island located in southeastern New York, USA, its western shores directly across from Manhattan, from which the island stretches New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The schooner was subsequently taken into custody by the United States Navy and the Africans were taken to Connecticut to be sold as slaves. A schooner (ˈskuːnɚ is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts Schooners were first used by the Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. There ensued a widely publicized court case in New Haven, CT about the ship and the legal status of the African captives. At that time the transport of slaves from Africa to the Americas was illegal, so they were fraudulently described as having been born in Cuba. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America It needed to be decided whether the Africans could be considered salvage and the property of Naval officers who had taken custody of the ship, whether they were the property of the Cuban buyers, or of Spain as the Queen of Spain claimed, or lastly if the circumstances of their capture and transportation meant they were free. The issues became the focus of the Amistad (1841) Supreme Court case, which figured prominently in abolitionism in the United States. The Amistad, 40 US (15 Pet 518 (1841 was a United States Supreme Court case resulting from the rebellion of slaves on board the Spanish Abolitionism was a political movement of the 18th and 19th century which sought to make Slavery illegal particularly in the United States and British West Indies

The Ship

Strictly speaking, La Amistad was not a slave ship in the sense that she was not designed to transport slaves, nor did she engage in the Middle Passage of Africans to the Americas. Slave ships were cargo Ships specially converted for the purpose of transporting slaves, especially newly purchased African slaves As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another Middle Passage refers to the forcible passage of African people from Africa to the New World, as part of the Atlantic slave trade. La Amistad engaged in shorter, coastal trade. The primary cargo carried by La Amistad was sugar-industry products, and her normal route ran from Havana to her home port, Guanaja. Sugar is a class of edible Crystalline substances mainly Sucrose, Lactose, and Fructose. Havana ( IPA: aˈβana officially Ciudad de La Habana, is the Capital city, major port and leading Guanaja is one of the Bay Islands of Honduras, and is in the Caribbean. She also took on passengers and, on occasion, slaves for transport. The captives that La Amistad carried during the incident had been illegally transported to Cuba aboard the slave ship Tecora. The Tecora was a Portuguese Slave ship of the early 1800s The brig was built especially for the Slave trade after the transport across the Atlantic of human beings

More Ships

True slave ships, such as Tecora, were designed for the purpose of carrying as many slaves as possible. Some very large slave ships carried up to 400 slaves. One distinguishing feature that enabled this amount of efficiency was the half-height between decks, which allowed slaves to be chained down in a sitting or lying position, but which were not high enough to stand in, and thus were not suitable for any other cargo. The crew of La Amistad, lacking the slave quarters, placed half the captives in the main hold, and the other half on deck. The captives were relatively free to move about, and this freedom of movement aided their revolt and commandeering of the vessel.

Later years

After being moored at the wharf behind the Custom House in New London, Connecticut, for a year and a half, La Amistad was auctioned off by the U.S. Marshal in October 1840. New London is a seaport city and a Port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. Captain George Hawford, of Newport, Rhode Island, purchased the vessel and then had to get an Act of Congress passed so that he could register her. Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about 30 miles (48 km south of Providence Rhode Island ( officially named the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, is a state in the New England region of the United States He renamed her Ion and, in late 1841, sailed her to Bermuda and Saint Thomas with a typical New England cargo of onions, apples, live poultry, and cheese. For the game see 1841 (board game. Year 1841 ( MDCCCXLI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link Ba (officially The Bermuda Islands or The Somers Isles) is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Saint Thomas is an Island in the Caribbean Sea, a County and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI an unincorporated History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the Organicsalsajpg||thumb|right|Onions used in salsa.]]Cooked onions in frying pan The apple is the pomaceous Fruit of the apple tree Species Malus domestica in the Rose family Rosaceae. Poultry is the category of Domesticated Birds which some humans keep for the purpose of collecting their eggs, or kill for their Meat and/or Cheese is a Food made from Milk, usually the milk of cows, Buffalo, Goats or sheep, by coagulation.

After sailing her for a few years, he sold the boat in Guadeloupe in 1844. Guadeloupe is an island group or Archipelago located in the eastern Caribbean Sea at, with a land area of 1628 square kilometres (629  sq Year 1844 ( MDCCCXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year There appears to be no record of what became of the Ion under her new French owners in the Caribbean. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting

La Amistad in culture

On 2 September 1839, a play entitled The Long, Low Black Schooner, purporting to be based on the revolt, opened in New York City and played to full audiences. Events 44 BC - Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt declares her son co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesarion. Year 1839 ( MDCCCXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common The City of New York La Amistad was painted black at the time of the revolt.

A 1997 film, Amistad, directed by Steven Spielberg, examines the historical incident. Amistad is a 1997 Steven Spielberg Film based on the true story of a slave mutiny that took place aboard a ship of the same name in Steven Allan Spielberg, KBE (Hon (born December 18 1946 is an American Film director, Screenwriter and producer. The film adheres closely to the historical event with minor changes that do not effect the overall event and account. Major actors are Morgan Freeman, as a freed black man; Sir Anthony Hopkins, as John Quincy Adams; Matthew McConaughey, as an unorthodox, but influential lawyer; and Djimon Hounsou, as Cinque (Sengbe Peah).

Artist Hale Woodruff completed a mural depicting the events that occurred on board the Amistad. Hale Aspacio Woodruff ( August 26, 1900 - September 1980 was an African American Artist known for his mural paintings and prints The six-panel sequence is on display at the Savery Library (named for founder William Savery), on the campus of Talladega College, Alabama. Talladega College, located in Talladega County Alabama, is a private, Liberal arts college Alabama (formally the State of Alabama;) is a State located in the southern region of the United States of America. A mural of the ship itself is also embedded in the floor of the library, and school tradition dictates that it not be trodden on.

In honour of the described events, the name "Amistad" is carried as a street in a China-town of Havana. Havana ( IPA: aˈβana officially Ciudad de La Habana, is the Capital city, major port and leading Havana ( IPA: aˈβana officially Ciudad de La Habana, is the Capital city, major port and leading

Pusha T of hip-hop supergroup Re-Up Gang reference La Amistad in their song "20k Money Making Brothers on the Corner" from their mixtape We Got It 4 Cheap, Volume 3: The Spirit of Competition (We Just Think We're Better) with the lyrics

"Big chain around my neck like I’m fresh off The Amistad. The Re-Up Gang is an American hip hop group best known for their signature We Got It 4 Cheap mixtape series We Got It 4 Cheap is a series of Mixtapes released by Virginia hip hop duo Clipse and their group the Re-Up Gang. . . We won’t stop ‘till you give us us free"

Freedom Schooner Amistad

Between 1998 and 2000, Freedom Schooner Amistad, a recreation of La Amistad, was built in Mystic Seaport, Mystic, Connecticut, using traditional skills and construction techniques common to wooden schooners built in the 19th century, but using modern materials and engines. Mystic Seaport: The Museum of America and the Sea is a Living history Maritime museum situated along the banks of the Mystic River in Mystic Connecticut Mystic is a Census-designated place (CDP in New London County, Connecticut, in the United States. Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The modern day Amistad is not an exact replica of La Amistad, as the ship is slightly longer and has higher freeboard. There were no old blueprints of the original. The new schooner was built using a general knowledge of the Baltimore Clippers and art drawings from the era. Some of the tools used in the project were the same as those that might have been used by a 19th century shipwright while others were electrically powered. Tri-Coastal Marine^[1], designers of Freedom Schooner Amistad, used modern computer technology to provide plans for the vessel. Bronze bolts are used as fastenings throughout the ship. Freedom Schooner Amistad has an external ballast keel made of lead and two Caterpillar diesel engines. Caterpillar Inc ( is a United States -based Corporation headquartered in Peoria Illinois. None of this technology was available to 19th century builders.

Freedom Schooner Amistad is operated by Amistad America Inc. , a non-profit organization based in New Haven, Connecticut. A non-profit organization ( abbreviated "NPO" also "not-for-profit" is a legally constituted Organization whose objective is to support or engage ^[2] The ship's mission is to educate the public on the history of slavery, discrimination, and civil rights. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another Unlike most discrimination policies discrimination between, which is the discernment of qualities and recognition of the differences focused here discrimination against is Her homeport is New Haven, where the Amistad trial took place. She also travels to port cities for educational opportunities. The Freedom Schooner Amistad is the State Flagship and Tall ship Ambassador of Connecticut. flagship is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels a designation given on account of being either the largest fastest newest most heavily armed or for publicity purposes the most well A tall ship is a large traditionally rigged sailing vessel Popular modern tall ship rigs include topsail Schooners Brigantines Brigs and ^[3]

The Atlantic Freedom Tour

Freedom Schooner Amistad set sail on June 21, 2007, from New Haven on the "Atlantic Freedom Tour", a 14,000-mile transatlantic voyage to Great Britain, Lisbon, West Africa, and the Caribbean to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade in Britain (1807) and the United States (1808). Events 524 - Godomar, King of the Burgundians defeats the Franks at the Battle of Vézeronce. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Lisbon (Lisboa liʒˈboɐ is the Capital and largest city of Portugal. West Africa or Western Africa is the Westernmost Region of the African Continent. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting The Atlantic Slave trade, also known as the transatlantic slave trade, was the trade of African people supplied to the Colonies of the New World See also Atlantic slave trade, Abolitionism The Slave Trade Act (citation 47 Geo III Sess Article One of the United States Constitution describes the powers of the legislative branch of the United States government, known as Congress The ship arrived in Bristol on 30 August. Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London Events 1363 - Beginning date of the Battle of Lake Poyang; the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders— Chen Youliang and ^[4]

London was one of the ports of the United Kingdom portion of the Amistad's Tour. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The schooner sailed up the Thames under the Tower Bridge on August 14, 2007, and moored for several days in London Docklands, where she attracted a great deal of attention. The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and Suspension bridge in London, England over the River Thames. Events 1183 - Taira no Munemori and the Taira clan take the young Emperor Antoku and the three sacred treasures Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Docklands is the semi-official name for an area in the east of London, England, comprising parts of several boroughs ( Southwark, Tower Hamlets

August 23, 2007, UNESCO's designated International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade, which fell during the ship's visit to Liverpool, was marked by the opening of the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool - the first museum of its type to open in the United Kingdom. Events 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring on the feast day of Vulcan the Roman god of fire Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary A new International Slavery Museum is being created in Liverpool as part of the National Museums Liverpool group

See also

• The Amistad, a Supreme Court case arising out of the rebellion aboard the ship
• Amistad (film), a movie about the court case. The Amistad, 40 US (15 Pet 518 (1841 was a United States Supreme Court case resulting from the rebellion of slaves on board the Spanish Amistad is a 1997 Steven Spielberg Film based on the true story of a slave mutiny that took place aboard a ship of the same name in

References

External links

• Amistad: Some historical considerations.
• Amistad Atlantic Freedom Tour - The Official website of AMISTAD America Inc.
• Amistad: Seeking Freedom in Connecticut, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary

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