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The Amistad Story • In 1839, the story of the Amistad began. The slave trade was illegal in many parts of the world -- but some slave traders paid no attention to the laws. In Western Africa, Africans often kidnapped their own to sell as slaves in other parts of the world. Early in 1839 in Mendeland Africa (known today as Sierra Leone). a group of Mende Africans were kidnapped and transported to the African slave port of Lomboko.
The boat Amistad • There a Portuguese slave trader paid for about 500 of the Africans and transported them illegally on the slave ship Tecora to Havana, Cuba. During the trip about 166 slaves died from being beaten or lack of food. When they arrived in Cuba, the slaves were sold separately. Two plantation owners, (Jose Ruiz and Pedro Montes)bought 53 of the slaves(49 men, one boy, and three girls). The slaves were placed on the boat “Amistad” and they sat sail for Cuba.
Revolt • As they were sailing toward Cuba on (July 2) due to the Africans and Spanish having different languages, one of the Africans asked the Spanish cook in sign language what was going to happen to the slaves. The cook in sign language joked and said that the slaves were to be killed and eaten. This scared one of the slaves enough that he used a nail to pick the locks on his chains and the other slaves. They used knives they found to take over the ship(two Africans and two Spaniards died).
The zigzag trip • The African slaves demanded that they turn east and go back to Africa. The Spaniards tried to trick the Africans by heading east toward the sun all day. But then, at night, the sailors slowly turned the boat back toward the American coast. The next morning they sailed east. And at night back they turned back again. This went on for about two months as the Amistad made a zigzag trip up the Atlantic coast of the United States ( ten of the Africans died).
, The Africans beached at Long Island, New York on August 26. There they hoped to trade for badly needed supplies. The U.S. Navy ship Washington spotted the Amistad. The Navy sailors listened to the Spanish version of the story and took over the Amistad. The sailors thought they might get a reward for capturing the Amistad or make money selling the slaves.
Jail • The Washington sailors towed the Amistad to Conneticut because slavery was illegal in New York. On August 29 in New London, Conneticut , the Spanish leaders Ruiz and Montes told a tale about the Africans taking over the Amistad that caused the Africans to have to stand trial for mutiny and murder. They were taken to a jail in New Haven, Connecticut, to await trail.
Understanding But, so far, the Africans had been unable to tell their side of the story. They couldn't tell their story because they did not speak English or Spanish. No one understood the language that the Mende Africans spoke.
Home • During a series of trials, the African’s were freed and returned to their Mende home in Africa. More important though, historically, is the role the story of the Amistad played in building the movement against slavery in the United States. The support these Africans received from Americans black and white is still remembered today.
3. What did about 166 slaves die from on the trip across the Atlantic? A. lack of food B. old age C. being beaten D. A and C
6. The word escape means to? A. get away from someone or something B. to wear a cape C. go to someone D. to make a cake
