Friday, April 11, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
Trial (by jennifer rock)
On August 24, 1839, the Amistad was seized off Long Island, NY, by the U.S. Coast Guard. The Africans, Lead by Cinque were imprisoned in New Haven, CT, on charges of murder.
*At this point no one knew if a crime had been committed, if so then by who, or if the US courts even had any jurisdiction over a matter such as this.
September 14th 1839 Judge Smith Thompson chose to rule that the “murders” occurred in international waters and the U.S. did not have the jurisdiction to charge the Africans of the Amistad with murder. The murder charges were dismissed after three days, yet the Africans remained imprisoned because the case was now focused on claims of salvage and rights of property.
*To cover the fact that Ruiz and Montes had broken the laws of the treaty they falsified records such as passports to elude the ships on the high seas.
President Van Buren wanted to extradite them (the Africans) to Cuba so as to wash his hands of the scrutiny he was under. Van Buren wanted to do this because it was an election year and he needed to keep the southern voters happy. Thus, in the same sense the abolitionists saw this as an opportunity to reestablish their abolitionist views. However, abolitionists in the North opposed this extradition and raised money for the defense of the Africans (of the Mende tribe). The claims of the Africans were from the Spanish government (who actually had a treaty in 1817 with Britain prohibiting slave trade to Spanish colonies).
The case was initially in the Federal District Court by the US Attorney for Connecticut, William S. Holabird. The case of the Amistad was a huge point of interest and brought as many as 5,000 people per day to the jail; this of course brought in one New York shilling to look at the “captives”. Lewis Tappan (an Abolitionist leader) saw this as an opportunity to reach those individuals in the community, and enable them to see another view, an abolitionist view. A committee was formed quickly to help the Amistad prisoners financially. At this time Roger Baldwin enters the scene to help defend the Africans.
Communication was essential in the defense and Baldwin spent many weeks looking for a translator for the Mende language. After many weeks Baldwin found James Covey. Covey was successful in translating the language and stories of the Africans. The stories were reported by the media and those who listened, concentrated and absorbed every word. Hearts softened when their stories were finally heard. Baldwin defended the Amastads’ stating they were no one’s property and that they were illegally kidnapped from there homeland of Africa. He also had language experts testify that the Africans spoke the Mende language and not Spanish as was originally claimed. Media soaked it up, people’s hearts grew weaker, and along the way the defense drew much support for the abolitionists’ mission.
January 13, 1840 Judge Judson rules, after only a weekend deliberation, that the Amastads’ were “born free” and were illegally taken from their home. It was also stated that the crimes committed against them were against international laws.
*At this point the focus of the media shifted briefly to Ruiz and Montez due to their illegal activity and possible charges of slave trade, kidnapping and falsifying records.
The African then still were held due to the appeal, by the Spanish authorities and the White House, to the U.S. Supreme Courts. The case eventually went to the Supreme Court in April 1840. Defending the administrations case is U. S attorney General Henry D. Gilpin. Tappan steps in once again to ask that Former President John Quincy Adams argue for the Africans. Adams agrees and bases his defense on the fact that the Africans had every right to defend themselves in order to regain their freedom. Adams is quoted as saying to the Amastads’, "God willing, we will make you free." February 22, 1841 the Supreme Court trial begins in the U.S. Capitol chamber. Baldwin begins by making the defense arguments the same as in the circuit courts, and Adams follows by attacking the president and southerners who defended slavery, finally quoting the Declaration of Independence and making his own personalized quote.
The Supreme Court ruled that the Africans should be allowed to return home so on March 9, 1841 the 35 kidnapped Africans returned home the rest had either died at sea or had died during the course of the trials.
In November 1841 they were transported home to Africa.
*This was only one case of the injustices that occurred during the more than 400 years of slave trading. Through all the trials and time the Mende were held many of their families had been kidnapped into slavery. By the time they were to return home most had no family left in Africa to speak of due to the Atlantic Slave Trade. Cinque was the last of the Amistad Africans to have contact with a mission that was set up in Africa. He came to them old and feeble in 1879. He died and is buried among other missionaries of the Americas.
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/amistad/AMI_ACT.HTM
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/amistad/AMISTD.HTM
http://amistad.mysticseaport.org/discovery/story/trials.html
*At this point no one knew if a crime had been committed, if so then by who, or if the US courts even had any jurisdiction over a matter such as this.
September 14th 1839 Judge Smith Thompson chose to rule that the “murders” occurred in international waters and the U.S. did not have the jurisdiction to charge the Africans of the Amistad with murder. The murder charges were dismissed after three days, yet the Africans remained imprisoned because the case was now focused on claims of salvage and rights of property.
*To cover the fact that Ruiz and Montes had broken the laws of the treaty they falsified records such as passports to elude the ships on the high seas.
President Van Buren wanted to extradite them (the Africans) to Cuba so as to wash his hands of the scrutiny he was under. Van Buren wanted to do this because it was an election year and he needed to keep the southern voters happy. Thus, in the same sense the abolitionists saw this as an opportunity to reestablish their abolitionist views. However, abolitionists in the North opposed this extradition and raised money for the defense of the Africans (of the Mende tribe). The claims of the Africans were from the Spanish government (who actually had a treaty in 1817 with Britain prohibiting slave trade to Spanish colonies).
The case was initially in the Federal District Court by the US Attorney for Connecticut, William S. Holabird. The case of the Amistad was a huge point of interest and brought as many as 5,000 people per day to the jail; this of course brought in one New York shilling to look at the “captives”. Lewis Tappan (an Abolitionist leader) saw this as an opportunity to reach those individuals in the community, and enable them to see another view, an abolitionist view. A committee was formed quickly to help the Amistad prisoners financially. At this time Roger Baldwin enters the scene to help defend the Africans.
Communication was essential in the defense and Baldwin spent many weeks looking for a translator for the Mende language. After many weeks Baldwin found James Covey. Covey was successful in translating the language and stories of the Africans. The stories were reported by the media and those who listened, concentrated and absorbed every word. Hearts softened when their stories were finally heard. Baldwin defended the Amastads’ stating they were no one’s property and that they were illegally kidnapped from there homeland of Africa. He also had language experts testify that the Africans spoke the Mende language and not Spanish as was originally claimed. Media soaked it up, people’s hearts grew weaker, and along the way the defense drew much support for the abolitionists’ mission.
January 13, 1840 Judge Judson rules, after only a weekend deliberation, that the Amastads’ were “born free” and were illegally taken from their home. It was also stated that the crimes committed against them were against international laws.
*At this point the focus of the media shifted briefly to Ruiz and Montez due to their illegal activity and possible charges of slave trade, kidnapping and falsifying records.
The African then still were held due to the appeal, by the Spanish authorities and the White House, to the U.S. Supreme Courts. The case eventually went to the Supreme Court in April 1840. Defending the administrations case is U. S attorney General Henry D. Gilpin. Tappan steps in once again to ask that Former President John Quincy Adams argue for the Africans. Adams agrees and bases his defense on the fact that the Africans had every right to defend themselves in order to regain their freedom. Adams is quoted as saying to the Amastads’, "God willing, we will make you free." February 22, 1841 the Supreme Court trial begins in the U.S. Capitol chamber. Baldwin begins by making the defense arguments the same as in the circuit courts, and Adams follows by attacking the president and southerners who defended slavery, finally quoting the Declaration of Independence and making his own personalized quote.
The Supreme Court ruled that the Africans should be allowed to return home so on March 9, 1841 the 35 kidnapped Africans returned home the rest had either died at sea or had died during the course of the trials.
In November 1841 they were transported home to Africa.
*This was only one case of the injustices that occurred during the more than 400 years of slave trading. Through all the trials and time the Mende were held many of their families had been kidnapped into slavery. By the time they were to return home most had no family left in Africa to speak of due to the Atlantic Slave Trade. Cinque was the last of the Amistad Africans to have contact with a mission that was set up in Africa. He came to them old and feeble in 1879. He died and is buried among other missionaries of the Americas.
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/amistad/AMI_ACT.HTM
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/amistad/AMISTD.HTM
http://amistad.mysticseaport.org/discovery/story/trials.html
Sunday, April 6, 2008
The Criminal Trial
On August 29, 1839, the district judge for Connecticut, Andrew T. Judson, opened a hearing on complaints of murder and piracy filed by Ruiz and Montes. After listening to testimony, Judge Judson referred the case for trial in Circuit Court. (add abolitionists take action)
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/amistad/AMI_ACT.HTM
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/amistad/AMI_ACT.HTM
Abolitionists take action
Dwight P. Janes, a Connecticut abolitionist, new the slave trade had been outlawed in Spain and it's colonies. He contacted Roger Baldwin and told him that Ruiz said he had bought 49 men from a foreign slave trader and had taken them aboard the Amistad. Janes asked Baldwin to find an african who could speak the language of the prisoners so that they could tell their story. He also asked Baldwin if he could take the case of the prisoners.
http://www.tulane.edu/~amistad/amessays.htm
http://www.tulane.edu/~amistad/amessays.htm
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Revolt
The Revolt
Mutiny on the Amistad
The Trip to Puerto Principe usually took three days however, on the second day the winds began to shift. The Captain, knowing the voyage would take longer than expected, severely cut the slaves food rations. On June 30, 1839, the third day out, a slave named Sengbe (who was given the spanish name, Cinque) removed a loose spike from the deck. Back in the slave hold he used the spike to unlock his shackles and the shackles of his fellow captives. The Africans had been led to believe that once they reached their destination, the spanairds would slaughter and eat them. Afraid for his life and the lives of the others, Sengbe armed himself and the others with sugar cane knives he found in the ship's cargo hold.
At 4:00am, Sengbe led the other captives on deck where they killed the Captain Ferrer and the cook, but not before the captain killed two slaves. The two seaman escaped in a small boat. Ruiz and Montez were spared and brought to the quarterdeck where Singbe ordered them to sail the vessel toward the rising sun, in otherwords, east to Africa. Montez, however, sailed west hoping to remain in Cuabn waters. The winds ended up taking the vessel northeast in a zigzag along the United States coastline for two months. During that time eight more slaves had died.
On August 25 1839, the schooner had reached the eastern tip of Long Island. Sengbe and some others went ashore to negotiate with the local seamen to take them back to Africa in exchange for gold they claimed to have on board. The seamen and the captives agreed to meet the next morning.
On August 26 1839, that meeting was interupted by the U.S.S Washington, a naval ship that was surveying the coast. The commander, Lieutenant Thomas Gedney seized the Amistad and towed her to New london, Connecticut.
Mutiny on the Amistad
The Trip to Puerto Principe usually took three days however, on the second day the winds began to shift. The Captain, knowing the voyage would take longer than expected, severely cut the slaves food rations. On June 30, 1839, the third day out, a slave named Sengbe (who was given the spanish name, Cinque) removed a loose spike from the deck. Back in the slave hold he used the spike to unlock his shackles and the shackles of his fellow captives. The Africans had been led to believe that once they reached their destination, the spanairds would slaughter and eat them. Afraid for his life and the lives of the others, Sengbe armed himself and the others with sugar cane knives he found in the ship's cargo hold.
At 4:00am, Sengbe led the other captives on deck where they killed the Captain Ferrer and the cook, but not before the captain killed two slaves. The two seaman escaped in a small boat. Ruiz and Montez were spared and brought to the quarterdeck where Singbe ordered them to sail the vessel toward the rising sun, in otherwords, east to Africa. Montez, however, sailed west hoping to remain in Cuabn waters. The winds ended up taking the vessel northeast in a zigzag along the United States coastline for two months. During that time eight more slaves had died.
On August 25 1839, the schooner had reached the eastern tip of Long Island. Sengbe and some others went ashore to negotiate with the local seamen to take them back to Africa in exchange for gold they claimed to have on board. The seamen and the captives agreed to meet the next morning.
On August 26 1839, that meeting was interupted by the U.S.S Washington, a naval ship that was surveying the coast. The commander, Lieutenant Thomas Gedney seized the Amistad and towed her to New london, Connecticut.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Voyage (from tecora to amistad)
In Lomboko, a slave trading island near the Gallinas Coast, 500 illegally kidnapped Africans boarded a Portuguese slave ship named the Tecora. The Tecora would be crossing the Atlantic or "middle passage" to Havana, Cuba. The voyage would take approximately two months.
Conditions on the Tecora were extremely brutal. Captives were chained naked in groups of five and each was given only 3 feet-3 inches of headroom. Disease spread quickly through the unventilated slave deck. With so many captives, supplies ran low. When this happened, the crew would chain 30-40 slaves together and attach a heavy weight at the end and throw it overboard, drowning every slave attached to it. By the time the Tecora had reached Cuba, a third of the captives had died.
Upon arrival in Cuba, the remaining slaves were brought on deck to be prepared for sale. To make them appear as healthy as possible, they were bathed, clothed, and given extra food. Then they were brought on shore and marched 3 miles inland to the jungle, where they would be housed in warehouses. After weeks in the warehouses they were again marched several miles to the slave market in Havana. There they would join several hundred other captives who were to be auctioned off to Cuban plantation owners.
After days at the slave market, two Spanish plantation owners-Jose Ruiz and Pedro Montez, bought 53 slaves to take back to their sugar plantation 300 miles away in Puerto Principe. Since importing Africans was illegal in Cuba, Montez and Ruiz aquired documents claiming the slaves were legally obtained in Cuba and each African was given a spanish name. Then 53 Africans and 7 crew members boarded an American-built schooner, originally and ironically named Friendship. The ship had changed ownership and was renamed, La Amistad (spanish for friendship). Montez and Ruiz had chartered the Amistad from Ramon Ferrer, the owner and captain. The Amistad was not a slave ship, she was actually a cargo ship that carried mostly sugar products for coastal trade. On June 28 1839, the Amistad left for Puerto Principe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/tecora
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/la_amistad
http://amistad.mysticseaport.or/discovery/story/welcome.html
http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/amistad/
Conditions on the Tecora were extremely brutal. Captives were chained naked in groups of five and each was given only 3 feet-3 inches of headroom. Disease spread quickly through the unventilated slave deck. With so many captives, supplies ran low. When this happened, the crew would chain 30-40 slaves together and attach a heavy weight at the end and throw it overboard, drowning every slave attached to it. By the time the Tecora had reached Cuba, a third of the captives had died.
Upon arrival in Cuba, the remaining slaves were brought on deck to be prepared for sale. To make them appear as healthy as possible, they were bathed, clothed, and given extra food. Then they were brought on shore and marched 3 miles inland to the jungle, where they would be housed in warehouses. After weeks in the warehouses they were again marched several miles to the slave market in Havana. There they would join several hundred other captives who were to be auctioned off to Cuban plantation owners.
After days at the slave market, two Spanish plantation owners-Jose Ruiz and Pedro Montez, bought 53 slaves to take back to their sugar plantation 300 miles away in Puerto Principe. Since importing Africans was illegal in Cuba, Montez and Ruiz aquired documents claiming the slaves were legally obtained in Cuba and each African was given a spanish name. Then 53 Africans and 7 crew members boarded an American-built schooner, originally and ironically named Friendship. The ship had changed ownership and was renamed, La Amistad (spanish for friendship). Montez and Ruiz had chartered the Amistad from Ramon Ferrer, the owner and captain. The Amistad was not a slave ship, she was actually a cargo ship that carried mostly sugar products for coastal trade. On June 28 1839, the Amistad left for Puerto Principe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/tecora
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/la_amistad
http://amistad.mysticseaport.or/discovery/story/welcome.html
http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/amistad/
Monday, February 18, 2008
Footer
In 1839, a Spanish schooner carrying slaves, who were kidnapped in Africa, was taken over by the captives off the coast of Cuba. The schooner was later recaptured off the coast of Long Island, New York by the United States Navy. The events that followed, including the widely publicized court case helped propel the abolitionist movement of the mid 19th century. This is the story of the AMISTAD.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Amistad
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Amistad
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