The 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 Citations: 40 U.S. 518; 40 U.S. (15 Pet.) 518; 10 L. Ed. 826; 1841 U.S. LEXIS 279 Prior history: U.S. District Court for the Connecticut District rules for the "AFRICANS"; "UNITED STATES" appeals to the U.S. Circuit Court for the Connecticut District, lower court affirmed; “UNITED STATES” appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court, certiorari granted Subsequent history: “AFRICANS” returned to Africa not by way of the President, but by way of abolitionists; U.S. Circuit Court for the Connecticut District dispenses monetary awards mandated by the Supreme Court; U.S. Circuit Court for the Connecticut District hears a petition by Ramon Bermejo, in 1845, for the unclaimed monetary sum retained by the court in 1841; petition granted in the amount of $631
Holding
The “AFRICANS” are free, and are remanded to be released; Lt. Gedney’s claims of salvage are granted, remanded to the U.S. Circuit Court for the Connecticut District for further proceedings in monetary manners.
Court membership
Chief Justice: Roger B. Taney Associate Justices: Joseph Story, Smith Thompson, John McLean, Henry Baldwin, James Moore Wayne, Philip Pendleton Barbour, John Catron, John McKinley
Case opinions
Majority by: Story Joined by: Taney, Thompson, McLean, Wayne, Catron, McKinley Dissent by: Baldwin Barbour took no part in the consideration or decision of the case.
Laws applied
Pinckney's Treaty, art. IX; Adams-Onís Treaty

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The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: District of Connecticut Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of New York District of Vermont The Second Circuit hears argument at the Thurgood Marshall U... Roger Brooke Taney (March 17, 1777 – October 12, 1864) was the fifth Chief Justice of the United States, from 1836 until his death in 1864, and the first Roman Catholic to hold that office. ... American jurist Joseph Story Joseph Story (September 18, 1779 - September 10, 1845), American jurist, was born at Marblehead, Massachusetts. ... Smith Thompson (January 17, 1768 - December 18, 1843) was a United States Supreme Court Associate Justice from 1823 until his death in 1843. ... John McLean (March 11, 1785 – April 4, 1861) was an American jurist and politician who served in the United States Congress, as U.S. Postmaster General, and as a justice on the Ohio and U.S. Supreme Courts. ... Henry Baldwin (January 14, 1780 - April 21, 1844) was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from January 18, 1830, to April 21, 1844. ... Justice Wayne, in an 1855 photograph by Matthew Brady James Moore Wayne (1790 - July 5, 1867) was an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia. ... This article needs cleanup. ... John Catron (January 7, 1786-May 30, 1865) was an American jurist who served as a Supreme Court justice from 1837 to 1865. ... John McKinley (May 1, 1780-July 19, 1852) was a U.S. senator from the state of Alabama and an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court. ... Pinckneys Treaty, also known as the Treaty of San Lorenzo or the Treaty of Madrid, was signed in San Lorenzo de El Escorial on October 27, 1795 and established intentions of friendship between the United States and Spain. ... The Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819 (formally titled the Treaty of Amity, Settlement, and Limits Between the United States of America and His Catholic Majesty, and also known as the Transcontinental Treaty of 1819, and sometimes the Florida Purchase Treaty) was a historic agreement between the United States and... A slave rebellion is an armed uprising by slaves. ... The Stono Rebellion (sometimes called Catos Conspiracy or Catos Rebellion) is one of the earliest known organized acts of rebellion against slavery in the Americas. ... The New York Slave Insurrection was a slave revolt in the British colony of New York in 1741. ... Chatham Manor was the 1771 Georgian style home of William Fitzhugh overlooking the Rappahannock River. ... Gabriel (1776–October 10, 1800), today commonly if incorrectly known as Gabriel Prosser, was a slave born in Henrico County, Virginia who planned a failed slave rebellion in the summer of 1800. ... Charles Deslondes led an unsuccessful slave revolt in parts of the Louisiana Territory on January 8, 1811. ... George Boxley was a white storekeeper living in Spotsylvania County, Virginia near the Orange County, Virginia line. ... Fort Blount Revolt is an unsuccessful slave revolt in Fort Blount, Apalachicola Bay, Florida on 1816. ... Denmark Vesey (originally Telemaque, 1767?-1822) was an African American slave and, later, a freeman, who is alleged to have planned what would have been a large slave rebellion had word of the plans not been leaked. ... Combatants Southern Slaves Southampton County Commanders Nat Turner Numerous Strength 50+ 15,000+ Casualties 200+ dead 57 dead Nat Turners slave rebellion was a slave rebellion that happened in Virginia in August 1831. ... The Pottawatomie massacre occurred during the night of May 24 to the morning of May 25, 1856. ... John Brown John Brown (May 9, 1800 – December 2, 1859) was the first white American abolitionist to advocate and to practice insurrection as a means to the abolition of slavery. ... This box: view • talk • edit

The Amistad, 40 U.S. (15 Pet.) 518 (1841), was a United States Supreme Court case resulting from the rebellion of slaves on board the Spanish schooner Amistad in 1839. Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest judicial body in the United... La Amistad, a 19th century Spanish schooner The Amistad, a 1841 United States court case concerning a slave rebellion on that ship. ... // The United States Reports, the official reporter of the Supreme Court of the United States Case citation is the system used in common law countries such as the United States, England and Wales, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Australia and India to uniquely identify the location of past court... 1841 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest judicial body in the United... The Buxton Memorial Fountain, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, London. ... Two-masted fishing schooner A schooner (IPA: ) is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts. ... La Amistad (Spanish: Friendship) was a 19th-century two-masted schooner of about 120 tons displacement. ... 1839 (MDCCCXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

The rebellion broke out when the schooner, traveling along the coast of Cuba, was taken over by a group of captives who had earlier been kidnapped in Africa and sold into slavery. The Africans were later apprehended on the vessel near Long Island, New York by the United States Navy and taken into custody. The ensuing widely publicized court cases in the United States helped the abolitionist movement. In 1840, a federal trial court found that the initial transport of the Africans across the Atlantic (which did not involve the Amistad) had been illegal and that they were not legally slaves but free. The Supreme Court affirmed this finding on March 9, 1841, and the Africans travelled home in 1842. A world map showing the continent of Africa. ... This article is about Long Island in New York State. ... The United States Navy (also known as USN or the U.S. Navy) is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations. ... This article is about the abolition of slavery. ... 1840 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one_fifth of its surface. ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... 1841 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1842 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Rebellion at sea, and capture

On June 27, 1839, La Amistad, a Spanish vessel, left from the port of Havana destined for Puerto Principe, both of Cuba (which was then a Spanish colony). The masters of La Amistad were the captain Ramón Ferrer, José Ruiz, and Pedro Montez, all of Spanish origin. With Ferrer was his personal slave Antonio. Ruiz had with him 49 African slaves, entrusted to him by the Governor-General of Cuba. Montez had with him four additional African slaves, also entrusted to him by the Governor-General of Cuba.^[1] June 27 is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 187 days remaining. ... 1839 (MDCCCXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Nickname: Ciudad de las Columnas Position of Havana in Cuba Coordinates: Country Cuba Province Ciudad de La Habana Founded 1515  - Mayor Juan Contino Aslán Area    - City 721. ... The mud jars The statue of Ignacio Agramonte on the Plaza de Revolucion Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Soledad Rooftops of Camagüey and Maceo street Iglesia San Francisco and Estadio Cándido González in the background Camagüey (founded as Santa María del Puerto del Pr... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa. ... The Buxton Memorial Fountain, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, London. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa. ... The Buxton Memorial Fountain, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, London. ...

On July 2, 1839, one of the Africans, Cinqué (who was also called Sengbe Pieh), managed to free himself and the other captives. They killed the ship's cook, Celestino, and the captain in a struggle that also killed two of the rebelling slaves. Two sailors escaped in a lifeboat. The slaves spared the lives of the two purported slave owners, José Ruiz and Pedro Montez, upon the understanding that they would return the ship to Africa. They also spared the captain's personal slave. July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 182 days remaining. ... 1839 (MDCCCXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Sengbe Pieh (1815 - 1879) was born in Sierra Leone in 1815. ...

However, the navigator deceived the Africans and steered the Amistad north along the coast of the United States where the ship was sighted repeatedly. They dropped anchor half a mile off Long Island, New York, on August 26, 1839, at Culloden Point. Some of the Africans went on shore to procure water and provisions from the hamlet of Montauk, New York, and the vessel was subsequently discovered by the United States naval brig USS Washington. Lieutenant Gedney, commanding the Washington, observed some of the slaves on shore and, assisted by his officers and crew, took custody of the Amistad and the rebel slaves. He subsequently took them to the state of Connecticut and presented a written claim under admiralty law for salvage of the vessel, the cargo, and the Africans. Gedney allegedly chose to land in Connecticut because, unlike in New York, slavery was still technically legal there (though extremely rare), and he hoped to profit from the slaves. August 26 is the 238th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (239th in leap years). ... 1839 (MDCCCXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Photo of from parking lot at the top of the bluff in July 2006. ... The Montauk Lighthouse Montauk is a hamlet (and census-designated place) in Suffolk County, New York on the South Shore of Long Island. ... The sixth USS Washington was a revenue cutter in the United States Navy. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ... Admiralty law (usually referred to as simply admiralty and also referred to as maritime law or Law of the Sea) is a distinct body of law which governs maritime questions and offenses. ... NY redirects here. ...

Gedney then relinquished all captured slaves into the custody of the U.S. District Court for the Connecticut District, at which time proceedings began.^[2] The United States District Court for the District of Connecticut is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is comprised of the state of Connecticut. ...

Parties

• Lieutenant Gedney filed a libel (the maritime legal term for a lawsuit) for the slaves and cargo on board La Amistad as property seized on the high seas.^[3]
• Henry Green and Pelatiah Fordham filed a libel for salvage, claiming that they discovered La Amistad first.^[4]
• Ruiz and Montez filed libels requesting that their slaves and cargo be returned to them.^[5]
• The Office of the United States Attorney for the Connecticut District, representing the Spanish Government, libelled that the slaves, cargo, and vessel be returned as the property of Spain.^[6]
• Antonio Vega, vice-consul of Spain, libelled for the slave Antonio, on the grounds that this slave was his property.^[7]
• The slaves, who denied that they were slaves, property, or that the court could return them to the government of Spain.^[8]
• José Antonio Tellincas, with Aspe and Laca, who claimed goods on board La Amistad.^[9]

It has been suggested that civil trial be merged into this article or section. ... The United States District Court for the District of Connecticut is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is comprised of the state of Connecticut. ... The Buxton Memorial Fountain, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, London. ...

Lower Court Proceedings

A case before the Circuit Court in Hartford, Connecticut, was filed in September 1839, alleging mutiny and murder. The court ruled that it lacked jurisdiction, because the alleged acts took place on a Spanish ship in Spanish waters. The United States Courts of Appeals (or circuit courts) are the mid-level appellate courts of the United States federal court system. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Mutiny is the act of conspiring to disobey an order that a group of similarly-situated individuals (typically members of the military; or the crew of any ship, even if they are civilians) is legally obliged to obey. ... In law, jurisdiction (from the Latin ius, iuris meaning law and dicere meaning to speak) is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area...

Various parties then filed property claims to the slaves, to the ship and to its cargo before the lower District Court: Ruiz and Montez, Lieutenant Gedney and Captain Henry Green (who had met the Africans while on shore on Long Island and claimed to have helped in their capture). The Spanish government asked that the ship, cargo and slaves be restored to Spain under the Pinckney treaty of 1795 between Spain and the United States. Article 9 of this treaty holds that "all ships and merchandises of what nature soever, which shall be rescued out of the hands of pirates or robbers on the high seas, …shall be restored, entire, to the true proprietor." The United States filed this claim on behalf of Spain. Map of the boundaries of the United States Courts of Appeals and United States District Courts The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. ... Pinckneys Treaty, also known as the Treaty of San Lorenzo or the Treaty of Madrid, was signed in San Lorenzo de El Escorial on October 27, 1795 and established intentions of friendship between the United States and Spain. ... 1795 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

The abolitionist movement had formed the "Amistad Committee", headed by New York City merchant Lewis Tappan, and had collected money to mount a defense of the Africans. Initially, communication with the Africans was difficult, since they did not speak English or Spanish. Professor Willard Gibbs learned to count to ten in their native Mende language, went to the harbor of New York City, and counted out loud until he located a person able to understand and translate. That person was James Covey, a twenty-year-old sailor of the British man-of-war Buzzard. Covey was himself a former slave from West Africa. This English poster depicting the horrific conditions on slave ships was influential in mobilizing public opinion against slavery. ... Nickname: Big Apple, Gotham, NYC, City That Never Sleeps, The Concrete Jungle, The City So Nice They Named It Twice Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1676 Government  - Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area... Merchants function as professionals who deal with trade, dealing in commodities that they do not produce themselves, in order to produce profit. ... Lewis Tappan (1788 - 1873) created the first viable credit rating agency in America. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Josiah Willard Gibbs was a linguist and professor of Theology and sacred literature at the university of Yale. ... The Mende language is a major language of Sierra Leone, with some speakers in neighboring Liberia. ... Nickname: Big Apple, Gotham, NYC, City That Never Sleeps, The Concrete Jungle, The City So Nice They Named It Twice Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1676 Government  - Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The abolitionists filed charges of assault, kidnapping, and false imprisonment against Ruiz and Montez. Their arrest in New York City in October 1839 outraged pro-slavery rights advocates and the Spanish government. They were eventually released on bail and left for Cuba. False imprisonment is a tort, and possibly a crime, wherein a person is intentionally confined without legal authority. ...

On January 7, 1840, all the parties (except for Ruiz and Montez, who were represented by the Spanish minister) appeared before the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut and presented their arguments.^[10] January 7 is the seventh day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1840 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The United States District Court for the District of Connecticut is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is comprised of the state of Connecticut. ...

The abolitionists' main argument before the District Court was that a treaty between Britain and Spain of 1817 and a subsequent pronouncement by the Spanish government had outlawed the slave trade across the Atlantic. It was established that the slaves had been captured in Mendiland (also Mendeland, current Sierra Leone) in Africa, sold to a Portuguese trader in Lomboko (south of Freetown) in April 1839, and taken to Havana illegally on a Portuguese ship. The Africans were therefore not slaves, but victims of illegal kidnapping and free to go. Their papers wrongly identified them as slaves that had been in Cuba since before 1820, a common practice in Cuba condoned by government officials. 1817 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Mendiland is the extreme southwest portion of Sierra Leone on the western coast of Africa, where the Mende tribe lives and the Mende language is spoken. ... Lombacko apparently refers to a stockaded compound created by the infamous Spanish trader Pedro Blanco. ... Map of Sierra Leone showing the capital Freetown Freetown, population 1,070,200 (2004), is the largest city and capital of Sierra Leone, lying on the Freetown Peninsula on the Atlantic coast. ... 1820 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

U.S. President Martin Van Buren, who did not have strong opinions on the slavery question but was concerned about relations with Spain and about his re-election prospects in the southern states, sided with the Spanish position; he ordered a U.S. schooner to New Haven Harbor to return the Africans to Cuba immediately after a favorable decision, before any appeals could be decided. Martin Van Buren (December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862) was the first of a series of eight presidents between Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln who served one term or less. ... New Haven Harbor is an inlet on the north side of Long Island Sound in the state of Connecticut in the United States. ...

The District Court however agreed with the abolitionists, ordering in January 1840 that the Amistad and its cargo be given to Lieutenant Gedney and the Africans be returned to their homeland by the U.S. government. (The federal government had outlawed the slave trade between the U.S. and other countries in 1808, and a law from 1818, amended in 1819, provided for the return of all illegally traded slaves.) The captain's slave was declared the rightful property of the captain's heirs and was ordered restored to Cuba (he escaped to Canada). In detail, the District Court ruled as follows: 1808 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1818 (MDCCCXVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar. ... 1819 common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

• It rejected the claim of the U.S. Attorney, argued on behalf of the Spanish minister, for the restoration of the slaves.^[11]
• It dismissed the claims of Ruiz and Montez.^[12]
• It ordered that the slaves be delivered to the custody of the President of the United States for transportation to Africa, since the slaves were, in fact, free.^[13]
• It allowed the Spanish vice-consul to claim the slave Antonio.^[14]
• It allowed Lt. Gedney to claim one-third of the property on board La Amistad.^[15]
• It allowed Tellincas, Aspe, and Laca to claim one-third of the property.^[16]
• It dismissed the claims of Green and Fordham for salvage.^[17]

The U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, on order of Van Buren, immediately appealed to the U.S. Circuit Court for the Connecticut District (today known as the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit). He challenged every part of the District Court's ruling except the concession of the slave Antonio to the Spanish vice-consul. Tellincas, Aspe, and Laca also appealed the denial of their salvage. Ruiz and Montez, as well as the owners of La Amistad, did not appeal.^[18] The presidential seal was first used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa. ... It has been suggested that Executive Office for United States Attorneys be merged into this article or section. ... The United States District Court for the District of Connecticut is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is comprised of the state of Connecticut. ... The United States Courts of Appeals (or circuit courts) are the mid-level appellate courts of the United States federal court system. ... The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: District of Connecticut Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of New York District of Vermont The Second Circuit hears argument at the Thurgood Marshall U...

This court affirmed (upheld) the District Court's decision in April 1840.^[19] From there, the U.S. Attorney appealed to the United States Supreme Court and the Court granted writ of error.^[20]

Oral Arguments before the Supreme Court

On February 23, 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. The documents being in order, Gilpin argued that the Court had no authority to rule against their validity. Gilpin contended that if the Africans were slaves (as evidenced by the documents), then they must be returned to their rightful owner, in this case, the Spanish government. Gilpin's argument lasted two hours.^[21] February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... In most common law jurisdictions, the Attorney General is the main legal adviser to the government, and in some jurisdictions may in addition have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions. ... Henry Dilworth Gilpin (April 14, 1801–January 29, 1860) was an American lawyer and statesman of American Quaker extraction who served as Attorney General of the United States. ...

John Quincy Adams, former President of the United States and then a Congressman from Massachusetts in the House of Representatives, had agreed to argue for the Africans, and opened fantastically which put the Spanish in a tough position to fulfil.^[22] John Quincy Adams (July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was a diplomat, politician, and President of the United States (March 4, 1825 – March 4, 1829). ... The presidential seal was first used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... A Congressman or Congresswoman (generically, Congressperson) is a politician who is a member of a Congress. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      House of Representatives is a name used for legislative bodies in many countries. ...

Baldwin—the lone dissenter on the court—contended that the Spanish government was attempting to manipulate the Court to return "fugitives". In actuality, Baldwin argued, the Spanish government sought the return of slaves, who had been freed by the District Court, a fact that the Spanish government was not appealing. Covering all the facts of the case, Baldwin spoke for four hours over the course of the 22nd and the 23rd.^[23] A fugitive is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals. ... February 22 is the 53rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

John Quincy Adams rose to speak on February 24. First, he reminded the court that it was a part of the judicial branch, and not part of the executive. Adams introduced correspondence between the Spanish government and the Secretary of State, criticizing President Martin van Buren for his assumption of unconstitutional powers in the case.^[24] February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... In several countries, Secretary of State is a senior government position. ... Martin Van Buren (December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862) was the first of a series of eight presidents between Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln who served one term or less. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into constitutionality. ...

^[25]

Adams argued that neither Pinckney's Treaty nor the Adams-Onís Treaty was applicable here. Article IX of Pinckney's Treaty referred only to property, and did not apply to people. The Antelope decision (10 Wheat. 124), which recognized "that possession on board of a vessel was evidence of property",^[26] Adams said did not apply either, since the precedent there was established prior to the prohibition of the foreign slave trade in the United States. Adams concluded after eight and one-half hours of speaking on March 1 (the Court had taken a recess following the death of Associate Justice Barbour).^[27] Pinckneys Treaty, also known as the Treaty of San Lorenzo or the Treaty of Madrid, was signed in San Lorenzo de El Escorial on October 27, 1795 and established intentions of friendship between the United States and Spain. ... The Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819 (formally titled the Treaty of Amity, Settlement, and Limits Between the United States of America and His Catholic Majesty, and also known as the Transcontinental Treaty of 1819, and sometimes the Florida Purchase Treaty) was a historic agreement between the United States and... // The United States Reports, the official reporter of the Supreme Court of the United States Case citation is the system used in common law countries such as the United States, England and Wales, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Australia and India to uniquely identify the location of past court... March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ... Associate Justice or Puisne (pronounced puny) Justice is the title for a member of a judicial panel who is not the Chief Justice. ... This article needs cleanup. ...

Attorney General Gilpin concluded oral arguments with a three-hour rebuttal on March 2.^[28] March 2 is the 61st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (62nd in leap years). ...

Decision of the Supreme Court

On March 9, Associate Justice Joseph Story delivered the Court's decision. Article IX of Pinckney's Treaty was ruled off topic since the Africans in question were never 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".^[29] The documents submitted by Attorney General Gilpin were not evidence of property, but, rather of fraud on the part of the Spanish government. Lt. Gedney and the USS Washington were to be awarded salvage from the vessel for having performed "a highly meritorious and useful service to the proprietors of the ship and cargo".^[30] March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... American jurist Joseph Story Joseph Story (September 18, 1779 - September 10, 1845), American jurist, was born at Marblehead, Massachusetts. ... Pinckneys Treaty, also known as the Treaty of San Lorenzo or the Treaty of Madrid, was signed in San Lorenzo de El Escorial on October 27, 1795 and established intentions of friendship between the United States and Spain. ...

When La Amistad came into Long Island, however, the Court believed it to be in the possession of the African slaves on board, who had no intent to become slaves. Therefore, the Adams-Onís Treaty did not apply, and the President was not required to return the slaves to Africa.^[31] The Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819 (formally titled the Treaty of Amity, Settlement, and Limits Between the United States of America and His Catholic Majesty, and also known as the Transcontinental Treaty of 1819, and sometimes the Florida Purchase Treaty) was a historic agreement between the United States and...

^[32]

After the trial

The Mende greeted the news of the Supreme Court's decision with joy. Free at last, the survivors—35 men and boys and three girls—were brought to Farmington, Connecticut by abolitionist supporters, a village considered "Grand Central Station" on the Underground Railroad. Charles Ledyard Norton was a child in Farmington at the time and he wrote of the Mendi's arrival in his journal: Coordinates: NECTA Hartford Region Capitol Region Incorporated 1645 Government type Council-manager  - Town manager Kathleen Eagen  - Council chairman Michael Clark Area    - City 74. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

The Amistad committee continued to instruct the Africans in English and Christianity and collected donations to pay for their return. Along with several missionaries, the surviving 36 Africans travelled back to Africa early in 1842, and a mission was erected in Mendiland. The Amistad committee later evolved into the American Missionary Association, an evangelical organization which continued to support the Mendi mission, argued for abolitionism, and eventually established many schools for freed slaves in the U.S. Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... Mendiland is the extreme southwest portion of Sierra Leone on the western coast of Africa, where the Mende tribe lives and the Mende language is spoken. ... The American Missionary Organization was a Christian Evangelical abolitionist group founded on September, 3 1846. ...

In the following years, the Spanish government continued to press for compensation, and several lawmakers from southern states introduced resolutions into Congress to pay. These efforts were supported by presidents James K. Polk and James Buchanan, but they all failed. Look up Congress in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795–June 15, 1849) was the eleventh President of the United States, serving from March 4, 1845 to March 4, 1849. ... James Buchanan (April 23, 1791 – June 1, 1868) was the 15th president of the United States (1857–1861). ...

Cinqué, once returned to Africa, is often said to have set himself up as a slave trader. No surviving documentation supports this claim and opinion among reputable historians seems to range from "not proven" to "presumed innocent". ^{[citation needed]}

The United States faced an incident similar to the Amistad case in the Creole case of 1841. The Creole case was an incident in American history concerning the coastwise slave trade, which flourished for a half century or longer. ...

Legacy

A simplified version of the events described here was made into a movie called Amistad in 1997. It was directed by Steven Spielberg and starred Anthony Hopkins as John Quincy Adams, Morgan Freeman as one of the abolitionists, Djimon Hounsou as Cinqué, and Matthew McConaughey as Baldwin, their lawyer. This film also depicts the initial transport of the slaves from Africa to Cuba, showing brutal murders, death by starvation and suffocation, and drowning of slaves. This is, however, a dramatization; while drowning slaves was a recognised practise in the trade, there are no accounts of mass executions on that ship (or on the Amistad). Amistad (Spanish for friendship) is a 1997 Steven Spielberg film based on a slave mutiny that took place aboard a ship of the same name in 1839, and the legal activity that followed. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Steven Allan Spielberg, (born December 18, 1946) is a three-time Academy Award winning American film director and producer. ... Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins CBE (IPA: ) (born 31 December 1937) is an Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning Welsh film, stage and television actor. ... Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an Academy Award-winning American actor, film director, and regular film narrator. ... Djimon Gaston Hounsou (born April 24, 1964), pronounced Jie-mon Hahn-soo is an Academy Award-nominated Beninese actor, dancer and fashion model who was born in Cotonou, Benin. ... Matthew David McConaughey (born November 4, 1969) is an American actor. ... English barrister 16th century painting of a civil law notary, by Flemish painter Quentin Massys. ...

There is a statue of Cinqué beside the City Hall building in New Haven, Connecticut. In March 2000, a replica of the Amistad was launched from Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut. Its mission is to educate the public on the history of slavery, discrimination and civil rights. The vessel is currently homeported in New Haven, Connecticut, where the Amistad Trial occurred. It also travels to port cities for educational opportunities. The official name of the vessel is the Freedom Schooner Amistad. Nickname: The Elm City Location in Connecticut Coordinates: NECTA New Haven Region South Central Region Settled 1638 Incorporated (city) 1784 Consolidated 1895 Government Type Mayor-board of aldermen  - Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... A Ship replica is a reconstruction of a no longer existing ship. ... Mystic Seaport is a maritime museum in Mystic, Connecticut. ... A coffeeshop along Main Street in Mystic Mystic is a census-designated place located in New London County, Connecticut. ... The Buxton Memorial Fountain, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, London. ... Manifestations Slavery · Racial profiling · Lynching Hate speech · Hate crime · Hate groups Genocide · Holocaust · Pogrom Ethnocide · Ethnic cleansing · Race war Religious persecution · Gay bashing Movements Discriminatory Aryanism · Neo-Nazism · Supremacism Fundamentalism · Kahanism Anti-discriminatory Abolitionism · Civil rights · Gay rights Womens/Universal suffrage · Mens rights Childrens rights · Youth rights... Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ... Nickname: The Elm City Location in Connecticut Coordinates: NECTA New Haven Region South Central Region Settled 1638 Incorporated (city) 1784 Consolidated 1895 Government Type Mayor-board of aldermen  - Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. ...

The Historical Society of Farmington Connecticut offers walking tours of village homes that once housed the Africans while funds were collected for their return home, as well as the grave stone of Foone, who drowned in the Farmington River. Similarly, the Oberlin Heritage Center (Oberlin, OH) provides tours of the one-room schoolhouse where one of the Amistad captives (Sarah Margru Kinson) studied, beginning in August 1846, at the suggestion of abolitionist Lewis Tappan.

References

• Howard Jones. Mutiny on the Amistad: The Saga of a Slave Revolt and Its Impact on American Abolition, Law, and Diplomacy, (1987) by a leading scholar; the standard history
• Iyunolu Folayan OsagieT. he Amistad Revolt: Memory, Slavery, and the Politics of Identity in the United States and Sierra Leone (2000)
• Jones, Howard; with Commentary by Finkelman, Paul; Wyatt-brown, Bertram; and Mcfeely, William S. "Cinque of the Amistad a Slave Trader? Perpetuating a Myth." Journal of American History 2000 87(3): 923-939. Issn: 0021-8723 Fulltext: online at History Cooperative, Jstor, Ebsco. Explores belief by abolitionists that Conque became a slave trader himself after returning to Africa.
• Jackson, Donald Dale. "Mutiny on the Amistad." Smithsonian 1997 28(9): 114-118, 120, 122-124. Issn: 0037-7333 Fulltext online at Ebsco. Popular narrative

1. ^ 40 U.S. 518 at 587-8
2. ^ Id.
3. ^ Id.
4. ^ Id.
5. ^ Id.
6. ^ Id. at 588-589
7. ^ Id. at 589
8. ^ Id.
9. ^ Id. at 589-590
10. ^ Id. at 590
11. ^ Id.
12. ^ Id.
13. ^ Id.
14. ^ Id.
15. ^ Id.
16. ^ Id.
17. ^ Id.
18. ^ Id.
19. ^ Id.
20. ^ Id.
21. ^ "The Amistad Case and its Consequences in U.S. History" by Clifton Johnson (broken link) [Cached]
22. ^ Id.
23. ^ Id.
24. ^ Id.
25. ^ Id.
26. ^ Supra note 1 at 515
27. ^ Supra note 23.
28. ^ Id.
29. ^ Supra note 1 at 588.
30. ^ Id at 597.
31. ^ Supra note 23.
32. ^ Supra note 1 at 597.

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

The Amistad

• Legal background on the Amistad case by Michael Peil (includes case documents)
• 40 U.S. 518 (1841) -- Opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court
• Gilder Lehrman Center's "Amistad Page"
• The Amistad Case from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Law School]
• Portraits and narrative from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery
• "The Legal Path of the Amistad Case" from The Museum of America and the Sea
• "The Amistad Case and Its Consequences in U.S. History" by Clifton Johnson (broken link) [Cache of page from Dec 25, 2002]
• A chronology of the trials
• A History of the Amistad Captives by John Warner Barber (1798-1885): The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill