On August 26, 1839 the Amistad, a slave ship, was seized by the US.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Slave Ship Amistad Captured

On August 26, 1839 an interesting event occurred off the coast of the United States.

A few months before, in late June, Portuguese slave hunters loaded kidnapped Africans, mostly Mende people from Sierra Leone<[link removed]>, onto a ship bound for Cuba<[link removed]>. Two Spanish plantation owners purchased 53 of them<[link removed]> from Cuba, and they were transferred to the Spanish ship Amistad (“Friendship”). On July 1st, the Africans revolted and seized the ship. They ordered
the surviving crew to return them to Africa. The owners and crew agreed but instead set sail toward the United States.


On August 26, 1839<[link removed]>, the Amistad was intercepted by an American naval vessel off the coast of Long Island. All onboard the ship were taken to Connecticut<[link removed]>, where the plantation owners were freed and the Africans imprisoned. The Spanish claimed the slaves as Spanish property and demanded they be returned. President Van Buren was willing to appease the Spanish government, but American abolitionists disagreed and raised
<[link removed]>
money to defend<[link removed]> the Africans in court.


In January 1840<[link removed]>, the case was brought before a district court<[link removed]>, where attorneys (supported by statements from Joseph Cinque<[link removed]>) argued the Africans had never been slaves. The court ruled in favor of the Africans, and the federal government appealed<[link removed]>.


The case was heard at the US Supreme Court in February 1841<[link removed]>. Attorneys persuaded John Quincy Adams to join the abolitionist legal team. At the age of 73, with bad eyesight and trembling hands, he argued his part<[link removed]> of the case for 9 hours over 3 days. Justice Joseph Story described<[link removed]> Adams’ argument as “extraordinary...for its power, for its bitter sarcasm.” The Court decided 7-1 in favor of the Africans and their immediate release was ordered.

Abolitionists raised the money to return the Mendes to their homeland. Before the group left in November, they gifted John Quincy Adams<[link removed]> a Mende language Bible and thanked him<[link removed]> for his efforts. Adams replied<[link removed]>, "It was from that book [the Bible] that I learnt to espouse your cause when you were in trouble, and to give thanks to God for your deliverance."

The Amistad is an inspiring story of many selfless people who came together in defense of strangers. This lesson, to show consideration and aid those who may not be able to repay a kindness, can be put into practice in our own lives.
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