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The Amistad Slave Ship Revolt, 1839

La Amistad was a 19th century two-masted schooner, that became renowned in 1839 for a slave revolt by Mende captives, who had been enslaved in Sierra Leone, and were being transported from Havana, Cuba to their purchasers' plantations. The men, armed with machete-like cane knives, attacked the crew, successfully gaining control of the ship. They killed Captain Ramon Ferrer and some of the crew, but spared Don Jose Ruiz and Don Pedro Montez, the two owners of the slaves, so they could guide them back to Africa. Ruiz and Montez secretly maneuvered the ship north, and La Amistad was captured off the coast of Long Island by the brig USS Washington, USA. The Mende and La Amistad were interned in Connecticut while federal court proceedings were undertaken for their disposition. The owners of the ship and Spanish government claimed the slaves as property, but the US had banned the African trade and argued that the Mende were legally free.

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Title:

The Amistad Slave Ship Revolt, 1839

Caption:

La Amistad was a 19th century two-masted schooner, that became renowned in 1839 for a slave revolt by Mende captives, who had been enslaved in Sierra Leone, and were being transported from Havana, Cuba to their purchasers' plantations. The men, armed with machete-like cane knives, attacked the crew, successfully gaining control of the ship. They killed Captain Ramon Ferrer and some of the crew, but spared Don Jose Ruiz and Don Pedro Montez, the two owners of the slaves, so they could guide them back to Africa. Ruiz and Montez secretly maneuvered the ship north, and La Amistad was captured off the coast of Long Island by the brig USS Washington, USA. The Mende and La Amistad were interned in Connecticut while federal court proceedings were undertaken for their disposition. The owners of the ship and Spanish government claimed the slaves as property, but the US had banned the African trade and argued that the Mende were legally free.

Credit:

Album / Science Source

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Image size:

5400 x 2628 px | 40.6 MB

Print size:

45.7 x 22.3 cm | 18.0 x 8.8 in (300 dpi)

Keywords:

1800S • 1839 • 19 CENTURY • 19TH CENTURY • 19TH • 19TH-CENTURY • ABOLITION • ABOLITIONIST • AMERICA • AMERICAN • AMISTAD • ANTI-SLAVERY • ATLANTIC • BOAT • BW • CAPTAIN • CAPTIVES • CARIBBEAN • CENTURY • CHATTEL • CINQUE • CINQUEZ • DON • FERRER • HISTORIC • HISTORICAL • HISTORY • INDUSTRY • INFAMOUS • INSURRECTION • JOSÉ • JOSEPH • LA • LABOUR • LOOT • MACHETES • MENDE • MONTEZ • MOVEMENT • NINETEENTH CENTURY • NINETEENTH • NOTORIOUS • PEDRO • PIEH • PILLAGING • PLUNDERING • RAMON • REBELLION • REVOLT • RUIZ • SENGBE • SHIP • SKIPPER • SLAVE • SLAVERY • STATES • THE • TRADE • TRANSATLANTIC • UNITED • US • USA • WEIR • XIX CENTURY