The Amistad Test of Law and Justice

Introduction

• The Amistad story, long ignored, gained attention through Spielberg's film.
• Illustrates a concrete test of American law and justice, and the multinational character of the Atlantic slave system.
• American courts' decision could have led to international conflict involving England, the US, and Spain.

Background of the Amistad Case

• 1839: Joseph Sinké (Sengba) kidnapped in Sierra Leone.
• Chained, marched to coast, sold to Portuguese merchants for Cuban House of Martin.
• Tesora Ship: 500 Africans on board, high death rate during voyage.
• Smuggled into Cuba, laws against African slave trade ignored.
• Cuba's economy booming due to sugar, reliant on illegal slave labor.

Capture and Revolt

• June 1839: Cinque and 48 others bought by Joseph Ruiz and Pedro Montes.
• La Amistad ship: revolt led by Cinque after being told they would be eaten.
• Killed captain and cook, captured Ruiz and Montes.
• Navigated towards US, met several ships, gathered supplies.
• August 1839: Seized by American revenue cutter near Long Island.
• Captives accused of being pirates, taken to Connecticut.
• Gedney's unauthorized seizure, hoping to claim salvage.

Legal and Political Context

• 1839-42: Slavery and anti-slavery in the New World.
• Northern states abolishing slavery, Southern states expanding slave economy.
• Britain's role in abolishing and policing slave trade contrasted with Spain and US policies.
• Van Buren administration's political maneuvering to appease Southern states.

Court Proceedings

• Hartford, Federal Circuit Court: Captives’ status considered under American treaties with Spain.
• New Haven, Federal District Court: Key trial, abolitionists aim to expose slavery's violence.
• President Van Buren’s secret orders to smuggle captives to Cuba, bypassing judicial process.
• Role of abolitionists like Louis Tappan and John Quincy Adams in legal defense.
• Language barrier addressed by Yale professors, enabling Africans to testify.

Supreme Court Decision

• 1841: Supreme Court rules in favor of the captives, citing right to self-defense and lack of legal grounds for slavery.
• Adams and Baldwin's arguments highlighted contradictions between American slavery and revolutionary ideals.
• Abolitionist efforts to publicize case and support captives’ return to Africa.

Aftermath and Legacy

• 1841: Survivors returned to Sierra Leone, some remained, others continued to fight against slavery.
• Continued disputes between US and Spain over compensation for Amistad slaves.
• Amistad case as a crucial test of the American judicial system, influencing later decisions like Dred Scott.
• Adams's legacy in fighting slavery and influencing future leaders such as Abraham Lincoln.