Roger Baldwin
What was the Amistad case?
The Amistad Case. This abduction violated all of the treaties then in existence. Two Spanish plantation owners, Pedro Montes and Jose Ruiz, purchased 53 Africans and put them aboard the Cuban schooner Amistad to ship them to a Caribbean plantation. On July 1, 1839, the Africans seized the ship, killed the captain and the cook,...
Who was John Quincy Adams in the Amistad case?
Adams begins arguments in the Amistad case. A practicing lawyer and member of the House of Representatives, John Quincy Adams was the son of America’s second president, founding father and avowed abolitionist John Adams. Although John Quincy Adams publicly downplayed his abolitionist stance,...
Who took care of La Amistad?
Lieutenant Thomas R. Gedney, commanding the cutter, saw some of the Africans on shore and, assisted by his officers and crew, took custody of La Amistad and the Africans.
What happened to the captain of the Amistad?
On July 1, 1839, the Africans seized the ship, killed the captain and the cook, and ordered Montes and Ruiz to sail to Africa. Additional Background Information. Montes and Ruiz actually steered the ship north; and on August 24, 1839, the Amistad was seized off Long Island, NY, by the U.S. brig Washington.
Who defended the Amistad slaves?
President John Quincy AdamsAbolitionists enlisted former US President John Quincy Adams to represent the Amistad captives' petition for freedom before the Supreme Court. Adams, then a 73-year-old US Congressman from Massachusetts, had in recent years fought tirelessly against Congress's “gag rule” banning anti-slavery petitions.
Who were the lawyers in Amistad?
Abolitionists hired Roger S. Baldwin, a lawyer from New Haven, and two New York attorneys, Seth Staples and Theodore Sedgewick, to serve as proctors, or legal representatives, for the Africans.
Who is the plaintiff in the Amistad case?
José Ruiz and Pedro Montes filed libels requesting their property of "slaves" and cargo to be returned to them. The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, representing the Spanish government, libelled for the "slaves," cargo, and vessel to be returned to Spain as its property.
What did John Quincy Adams do in the Amistad case?
The mutiny on the Amistad was an example of slave resistance against the oppressive institutions of slavery and the international slave trade. The captives fought courageously against the injustice and eventually won their freedom. John Quincy Adams and others took up their cause and ensured that justice was done.
How true is the movie Amistad?
Though based on the true story of fifty-four Africans who were captured in Africa and brought to Cuba aboard the ship La Amistad, the movie contains some inaccurate or misleading information. Several characters are altered or added for the sake of the film's dramatic effect.
What was the final decision of the Amistad case?
On March 9, 1841, the Supreme Court ruled that the Africans had been illegally enslaved and had thus exercised a natural right to fight for their freedom. In November, with the financial assistance of their abolitionist allies, the Amistad Africans departed America aboard the Gentleman on a voyage back to West Africa.
What was the decision handed down by Judge Judson?
What was the decision handed down by Judge Judson (Judge #2)? That the Africans were free-born and and should be returned to Africa.
How many slaves died on the Amistad?
1.5 millionOf those, at least 1.5 million are believed to have perished before even reaching shore, done in by the horrid conditions onboard ships. By the time of the Amistad rebellion, the United States and all other major destinations in North and South America had abolished the importation of enslaved people.
Who won prigg V Pennsylvania?
539 (1842), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the court held that the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 precluded a Pennsylvania state law that prohibited blacks from being taken out of the free state of Pennsylvania into slavery. The Court overturned the conviction of slavecatcher Edward Prigg as a result.
Did the crew of the Amistad win the Supreme Court case?
The Verdict On March 9, 1841, the Supreme Court ruled 7-1 to uphold the lower courts' decisions in favor of the Africans of the Amistad. Justice Joseph Story delivered the majority opinion, writing that “There does not seem to us to be any ground for doubt, that these negroes ought to be deemed free.”
Was John Quincy Adams a Supreme Court justice?
In February 1811, President Madison nominated Adams as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
What are some fun facts about John Quincy Adams?
10 facts about John Quincy Adams on his birthdayAdams was very well educated. ... He became a lawyer without going to law school. ... Adams was the driving force behind the Monroe Doctrine. ... Double rainbow, meet double Senator! ... Before Bush v. ... The irrepressible John C. ... Adams lost a brutal reelection campaign to Andrew Jackson.More items...•
Who seized control of the Amistad?
Armed with knives, they seized control of the Amistad, killing its Spanish captain and the ship’s cook, who had taunted the captives by telling them they would be killed and eaten when they got to the plantation. In need of navigation, the Africans ordered Montes and Ruiz to turn the ship eastward, back to Africa.
When was the Amistad?
Illegally Captured and Sold Into Slavery. The story of the Amistad began in February 1839, when Portuguese slave hunters abducted hundreds of Africans from Mendeland, in present-day Sierra Leone, and transported them to Cuba, then a Spanish colony. Though the United States, Britain, Spain and other European powers had abolished the importation ...
What was Cinque charged with?
Charged with murder and piracy, Cinque and the other Africans of the Amistad were imprisoned in New Haven. Though these criminal charges were quickly dropped, they remained in prison while the courts went about deciding their legal status, as well as the competing property claims by the officers of the Washington, Montes and Ruiz and the Spanish government.
What happened to the slaves on the Amistad?
Aboard the Spanish ship were a group of Africans who had been captured and sold illegally as slaves in Cuba. The enslaved Africans then revolted at sea and won control of the Amistad from their captors. U.S. authorities seized the ship and imprisoned the Africans, beginning a legal and diplomatic drama that would shake the foundations of the nation’s government and bring the explosive issue of slavery to the forefront of American politics.
Where did Montes and Ruiz sail?
On June 28, Montes and Ruiz and the 53 Africans set sail from Havana on the Amistad (Spanish for “friendship”) for Puerto Principe (now Camagüey), where the two Spaniards owned plantations.
When did Cinque and the Amistad return to their homeland?
In November 1841 , Cinque and the other 34 surviving Africans of the Amistad (the others had died at sea or in prison awaiting trial) sailed from New York aboard the ship Gentleman, accompanied by several Christian missionaries, to return to their homeland.
Where did the Amistad sail?
But the Spaniards secretly changed course at night, and instead the Amistad sailed through the Caribbean and up the eastern coast of the United States . On August 26, the U.S. brig Washington found the ship while it was anchored off the tip of Long Island to get provisions.
When was the Supreme Court case Amistad?
Supreme Court of the United States. Argued February 22 – March 2, 1841. Decided March 9, 1841. Full case name. The United States, Appellants, v. The Libellants and Claimants of the schooner Amistad, her tackle, apparel, and furniture, together with her cargo, and the Africans mentioned and described in the several libels and claims, Appellees.
What was the case of the schooner Amistad?
(15 Pet.) 518 (1841), was a United States Supreme Court case resulting from the rebellion of Africans on board the Spanish schooner La Amistad in 1839. It was an unusual freedom suit that involved international issues and parties, as well as United States law.
What was the case of Sandford v. Schooner Amistad?
Schooner Amistad, 40 U.S. (15 Pet.) 518 (1841), was a United States Supreme Court case resulting from the rebellion of Africans on board the Spanish schooner La Amistad in 1839.
What was the movie Mutiny on the Amistad based on?
A movie, Amistad (1997), was based on the events of the revolt and court cases, and Howard Jones' 1987 book Mutiny on the Amistad .
Where did the Amistad ship land?
The crew deceived the Africans and steered La Amistad north along the East Coast of the United States, where the ship was sighted repeatedly. They dropped anchor half a mile off eastern Long Island, New York, on August 26, 1839, at Culloden Point.
Where was La Amistad captured?
The crew tricked them, sailing north at night. La Amistad was later apprehended near Long Island, New York, by the United States Revenue Cutter Service (the predecessor of the U.S. Coast Guard) and taken into custody.
How many men were on the La Amistad?
Portrait of Kimbo, one of 36 men aboard La Amistad, c. 1839–1840. The Africans greeted the news of the Supreme Court's decision with joy. Abolitionist supporters took the survivors – 36 men and boys and three girls – to Farmington, a village considered "Grand Central Station" on the Underground Railroad.
What happened in the Amistad case?
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. This abduction violated all of the treaties then in existence.
Where was the Amistad seized?
Additional Background Information. Montes and Ruiz actually steered the ship north; and on August 24, 1839, the Amistad was seized off Long Island, NY , by the U.S. brig Washington. The schooner, its cargo, and all on board were taken to New London, CT.
How many Amistad Africans were released?
The Court ordered the immediate release of the Amistad Africans. Thirty five of the survivors were returned to their homeland (the others died at sea or in prison while awaiting trial). Materials created by the National Archives and Records Administration are in the public domain.
Who was the leader of the Mutiny on the Amistad?
Read More... Warrant for Habeas Corpus Ordering Sengbe Pieh (Joseph Cinque), Leader of the Mutiny, and the Other Africans Who Were Aboard the Amistad to Appear in Court.
Who was the President of the United States who opposed extradition?
President Van Buren was in favor of extraditing the Africans to Cuba. However, abolitionists in the North opposed extradition and raised money to defend the Africans. Had it not been for the actions of abolitionists in the United States, the issues related to the Amistad might have ended quietly in an admiralty court.
Who represented the Africans in the trial?
In the trial before the Supreme Court, the Africans were represented by former U.S. President, and descendant of American revolutionaries, John Quincy Adams. Preparing for his appearance before the Court, Adams requested papers from the lower courts one month before the proceedings opened.
Who was the leader of the Mutiny?
Plea of Sengbe Pieh (Joseph Cinque), Leader of the Mutiny, and the Other Africans Who Were Aboard the Amistad. Answer of the Proctors for the Amistad Africans, Conveying Their Position That They Are Free and Not Slaves. John Quincy Adams's Request for Papers Relating to the Lower Court Trials of the Amistad Africans.
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Who was the judge in the Amistad case?
On January 7, 1840, Judge Andrew Judson convened the Amistad case trial before the U.S. District Court of in New Haven, Connecticut.
What was the Amistad case?
federal courts, the Amistad Case of 1840 remains one of the most dramatic and meaningful legal battles in America’s history. More than 20 years before the start of the Civil War, the struggle of 53 enslaved Africans, who after violently freeing themselves ...
What happened to the Amistad in 1839?
Two months later, in August 1839, the Amistad ran aground off the coast of Long Island, New York.
Why were the Mende Africans in custody?
While the criminal charges against them had been dropped, the Mende Africans remained in custody because they were still the subject of multiple property claims for them pending in the U.S. district court.
What did the Spanish minister argue about the seizure of the Negro property?
More interested in protecting the honor of his nation’s Queen, than the practices of American federalism, the Spanish minister argued that the arrest of Spanish subjects Ruiz and Montes and the seizure of their “Negro property” by the United States violated the terms of a 1795 treaty between the two nations.
What were the charges against the Mende?
Criminal Charges Against the Mende. The Mende African men were charged with piracy and murder arising from their armed takeover of the Amistad. In September 1839, a grand jury appointed by the U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Connecticut considered the charges against the Mende.
What court did the Amistad decision go to?
government appealed the Amistad decision to the Supreme Court.
Who was the first president to argue the Amistad case?
John Quincy Adams begins arguments in Amistad case. On February 24, 1841, former President John Quincy Adams begins to argue the Amistad case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. A practicing lawyer and member of the House of Representatives, John Quincy Adams was the son of America’s second president, founding father and avowed abolitionist John ...
What was the significance of the capture of the Amistad?
The capture of the Amistad occurred in an era in which debate over the institution of slavery, its legality within the United States and its role in the American economy became more intense.
How long did the Adams v. Van Buren case last?
In a seven-hour argument that lasted two days, Adams attacked Van Buren’s abuse of executive power. His case deflated the U.S. attorney’s argument that the treaty with Spain should override U.S. principles of individual rights.
What was John Quincy Adams' stance on abolition?
Although John Quincy Adams publicly downplayed his abolitionist stance, he too viewed the practice as contrary to the nation’s core principles of freedom and equality. After serving one term as president between 1825 and 1829, Adams was elected to the House of Representatives, in which he served until his death in 1848.
What did Adams say to the judges?
In a dramatic moment, Adams faced the judges, pointed to a copy of the Declaration of Independence hanging on the courtroom wall, and said “ [I know] no law, statute or constitution, no code, no treaty, except that law…which [is] forever before the eyes of your Honors.”.
Where did the Spanish slave ship La Amistad take place?
In 1839, a Spanish slave ship named La Amistad appeared off the coast of New York. The captives aboard it, who were free Africans kidnapped in Africa and originally bound for sale in Cuba, had rebelled, killing the Spanish ship’s captain and cook.
Who was the President of Spain in 1795?
Spain, backed by a 1795 anti-piracy treaty with the U.S., also claimed rights to the Amistad and her cargo. President Martin Van Buren, personally neutral on the issue of slavery and concerned about his popularity in southern states, supported Spain’s claim.
Who asked the court to hand over the Amistad?
The two Spaniards asked the court to hand over the Amistad to Spanish officials. They also demanded the cargo — and they included as part of the cargo the black men and children they claimed to own as slaves. Judge Andrew Judson’s background did not suggest that he would be sympathetic to the Africans.
What is the Amistad story?
October 14, 2010. Director Stephen Spielberg deserves credit for bringing to public attention what historians used to refer to dismissively as “the Amistad incident.”. It is the story of a group of Africans who were captured in Sierra Leone and brought in chains to the Americas — and who revolted, ...
How long did Montes and Ruiz sail?
They sailed for two months, losing ten of the Africans from lack of food and water.
Why did Cinque kill Cook?
They found sugar cane knives and stormed the deck. According to Foulewa, “Cinque killed cook, because cook said he was going to kill them and eat them. He killed the captain after he killed an African.”. Before their stories were known, the Amistad Africans had often been portrayed as violent savages.
Why did Judge Judson refuse to release the Africans?
But Judge Judson of the District Court refused to release the Africans because they were still claimed as property by Ruiz and Montes. They were returned to jail in New Haven. Josiah Willard Gibbs, a professor of ancient languages at Yale, visited the Africans in the New Haven jail.
Where did the Amistad sail from?
It is the story of a group of Africans who were captured in Sierra Leone and brought in chains to the Americas — and who revolted, captured their ship, the Amistad, and eventually were seized off the coast of New England. They won their freedom in a case before the Supreme Court and ultimately sailed back to their homeland in Africa.
Who bought 49 slaves in Cuba?
Jose Ruiz told Judge Judson, “I bought 49 slaves in Havana, Cuba, and shipped them on board the schooner Amistad .”. Ruiz was accompanied by Pedro Montes and four children he had bought as slaves. The Amistad sailed for the Spaniards’ plantations in another part of Cuba.
Overview
United States v. Schooner Amistad, 40 U.S. (15 Pet.) 518 (1841), was a United States Supreme Court case resulting from the rebellion of Africans on board the Spanish schooner La Amistad in 1839. It was an unusual freedom suit that involved international issues and parties as well as United States law. The historian Samuel Eliot Morison described it in 1969 as the most important cour…
Background
On June 27, 1839, La Amistad ("Friendship"), a Spanish vessel, departed from the port of Havana, Cuba, for the Province of Puerto Principe, also in Cuba. The masters of La Amistad were Captain Ramón Ferrer, José Ruiz, and Pedro Montes, all Spanish nationals. With Ferrer was Antonio, a man enslaved by Ferrer to serve him personally. Ruiz was transporting 49 Africans, who had bee…
Initial court proceedings
A case before the circuit court in Hartford, Connecticut, was filed in September 1839, charging the Africans with mutiny and murder on La Amistad. The court ruled that it lacked jurisdiction, because the alleged acts took place on a Spanish ship in Spanish waters. It was entered into the docket books of the federal court as United States v. Cinque, et al.
Arguments before Supreme Court
On February 23, 1841, U.S. Attorney General Henry D. Gilpin began the oral argument phase before the Supreme Court. Gilpin first entered into evidence the papers of La Amistad, which stated that the Africans were Spanish property. Gilpin argued that the Court had no authority to rule against the validity of the documents. Gilpin contended that if the Africans were slaves, as indicated by the documents, they must be returned to their rightful owner, the Spanish government. Gilpin's ar…
Decision
On March 9, Associate Justice Joseph Story delivered the Court's decision. Article IX of Pinckney's Treaty was ruled inapplicable since the Africans in question had never been legal property. They were not criminals, as the U.S. Attorney's Office argued, but rather "unlawfully kidnapped, and forcibly and wrongfully carried on board a certain vessel." The documents submitted by Att…
Aftermath and significance
The Africans greeted the news of the Supreme Court's decision with joy. Abolitionist supporters took the survivors – 36 men and boys and three girls – to Farmington, a village considered "Grand Central Station" on the Underground Railroad. Their residents had agreed to have the Africans stay there until they could return to their homeland. Some households took them in; supporters als…
See also
• Amistad Research Center
• American slave court cases
• John Quincy Adams and abolitionism
Notes
1. ^ United States v. The Amistad, 40 U.S. (15 Pet.) 518 (1841).
2. ^ Cornish, Dudley T. (1988). "Mutiny on the Amistad: The Saga of a Slave Revolt and Its Impact on American Abolition, Law, and Diplomacy" (PDF). Civil War History. 34 (1): 79–80. doi:10.1353/cwh.1988.0011.
3. ^ A true history of the African chief Jingua and his comrades : with a description of the Kingdom of Mandingo, and of the manners and customs of the inhabitants, an account of King Sh…
1. ^ United States v. The Amistad, 40 U.S. (15 Pet.) 518 (1841).
2. ^ Cornish, Dudley T. (1988). "Mutiny on the Amistad: The Saga of a Slave Revolt and Its Impact on American Abolition, Law, and Diplomacy" (PDF). Civil War History. 34 (1): 79–80. doi:10.1353/cwh.1988.0011.
3. ^ A true history of the African chief Jingua and his comrades : with a description of the Kingdom of Mandingo, and of the manners and customs of the inhabitants, an account of King Sharka, of Gallinas : a sketc…
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