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The Cast of La Amistad. Here’s The Deal…. La Amistad was a Spanish schooner that was making the journey carrying kidnapped Africans from Cuba to the U.S. During the trip, the Africans revolted and took control of the ship
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Here’s The Deal… • La Amistad was a Spanish schooner that was making the journey carrying kidnapped Africans from Cuba to the U.S. • During the trip, the Africans revolted and took control of the ship • While trying to sail back to Africa, the ship was captured by the U.S. Navy • The African “cargo” was brought to Connecticut and charged with Murder
The Problem… • In 1839, transporting slaves from Africa to America was illegal, so the Amistad captains lied and said the Africans were born in Cuba. • This would make the transport legal.
Claims… • The U.S. Navy said that as “salvage” from a shipwreck, the Africans should be their property • The Cuban buyers claimed they still had rights to the Africans they had paid for • Queen Isabella of Spain said that they were property of Spain since Cuba was a Spanish colony • Some believed that they were transported illegally and therefore should be free to return to Africa
The Court Case… • The court had to decide what to do with these 49 Africans…if they should go to Cuba, the Navy, Spain, or be free