The Amistad story resonates in some way with each of us--what does it mean to you? Please add your thoughts in response to the story, the web site, or to earlier postings from other site visitors. (Please report problems with this posting system to webmaster@mysticseaport.org.)

Not so much a story as a request. I'm just atempting to find out about the Cuban slave activity "Mani". It was a fight "game" with rhythmic accompaniment, mainly using punching and evasion... or so I've read. I have not been able to find any significant references to it. Slave communities around the Caribean had at least 3 identifiable fight games: Mani; Lagya in Martinique; and Capoeira in Brazil. While Capoeira, in its modern form, is quite well known, the others are not.
Also, as all cultures develop methods of training fighting skills (probably), it seems reasonable to assume there were African methods which were carried with enslaved people. However, traditional African methods seem to have no studies that I have been able to trace.
All the web searches that I've tried produce only references to Amistad sites, with one long quote from the Barber book.

Can anyone help?

SteveD

This has helped me with me project in Social Studies. I want to thank you for the information you have given to me and my classmates. I think this event was one of the most interesting parts in our history.

I came to this website because I am in the middle of teaching the Amistad incident in my 11th grade American Literature class. I found the information here to be quite useful, and I just wanted to mention that the reason I am teaching this in American Lit is because Herman Melville wrote a novella in 1856 called Benito Cereno that was inspired by the Amistad revolt and ensuing trial. His story is by no means a recounting of the Amistad events; he, as an abolitionist, was inspired by these events to draw them somehow into the realm of literature. It is a great way to bring different subjects together and help students see the "inter-relatedness" of everything they learn.

Thanks again for a terrific. user-friendly site!

Hey! Okay, i'm doing a project on the AMISTAD. I dont know much about you so can someone please e-mail me like a link or something. I'm very confused but VERY interseted. Thank you! Bye Oh yeah my e-mail is BALL00PLAYER@aol.com. THanks again bye

I am still waiting to hear the updates on the AMISTAD AMERICA REPLICA. Also, I would like to know more about it`s captain, William Pinkney.I am a storyteller, and stories about the sea intrique me. Are there any other stories about the slave ships that I should read and tell stories about? Has anyone done a follow up on the descendents of the slaves who were on the AMISTAD?

Hi! I enjoyed reading all of your stories. For the people that don't like to read history such as this, should not log on. I just read about Captain William Pinkney, commander of the New Amistad America in the "about...time" magazine, published by African Americans, about African Americans for African Americans. I would like to get in touch with Capt. Pinkney, does anyone know how to reach him?I want to know more about him and his future travels (plans for) I am an adventurer too. Once, I wrote field exercises for Science teachers on the scooner The Harvey Gamage off the coast of Maine. I would like to visit the New Amistad too.

I HAVE SOME AFRICAN SLAVE SHACKELS FROM ZIERA AFRICA , LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO KNOWS ABOUT THEM, THAY ARE THE REAL THING. I GOT THEM FROM A MAN WHO USE TO FILM DOCS ALL OVER THE WORLD, THAY PACKED IN THREE WEEKS TO A VILLAGE , HE TOOK A PICTURE OF A TRIBE THE LEADER GAVE HIM THE SHACKELS , PLEASE IF ANY ONE KNOWS SOME ONE PLEASE CONTACT ME THANK YOU VINCE

We may look at the slave trade as cruel & unforgiveable now but what we must remember back only 250 years ago is that it was just another bussness. Black Africans themselves out to make a quick profit were not bothered at all at selling their fellow humans into slavery.
Although the Amisted film showed how baddly the slaves were treated, but it was just the tip of the iceberg.
Many of the slaves would of had been enslaved at least six months before their departure for the new world. Their captors who were blacks treated them just as baddly if not worse & sold every man,woman & child naked to the white european traders.

I have been reading Howard Jones 1987 book, Mutiny on the Amistead. Mr. Jones is a scholar and the emphasis is on the legal complexities of the trial.
I am puzzled by something : so far as I can figure out the mutineers were enslaved in Africa under African law. Now it is true that the Western powers banned the slave trade and quite right, too !!! a thousand times. But this particular case turned on whether they were legally slaves. It seems to me an act of ethnocentrism, if I can use that word,on the part of the American courts to ignore African law. Certainly the transporting of them was illegal at the time but nowhere do I see any recognition of the fact that they were legally enslaved in their home country.
In most parts of Africa there were no prisons. Instead people convicted of crimes were legally enslaved. For example there was a man on the Amistad who had been found committing adultery. Under the law of Sierra Leone he was legally enslaved by the man he had cuckolded and sold into slavery. Others on the boat had been enslaved for debt : a nasty business perhaps, but was it any worse than the debtor's prisons that Dickens wrote about ? Probably not unless you were sold to slave ships.And this is where interaction with Europe corrupted the system. Many were prisoners of war : there was a civil war going on at the time. It was legal in Sierra Leone to sell prisoners of war into slavery.Better to trade them for arms that to kill them
surely.
This leads me to another reflection : was this system of slavery any worse than our system of putting people in prison ? Surely a slave was at least out there, in the world, with in many cases, a love life, a family life ?

So I have two comments really : 1) that the Amistad trials
in a typical Western way ignored African law and 2) that the system of enslavement as retribution for crime maybe had some merit but it was we, in the west, who in brutalising it and in confusing it with race rendered it into the horror it became.

I am looking for information on Etrurine Berrault.
He is a distant relative, I have a painting of him and on the back it says "Etrurine was govenor of St.Domingo
and was crucified in his house(the door)by the negros during the revolution" That is all i know about him.
If you know anything more please e-mail me.
Thanks,
Tom Adams

The Amistad incident is a remarkable part of American history. In addition to Cinque and Adams, I admired the abolitionists and those person's whose hearts werely truly touched to make recognize a change and make a difference. For anyone who will be in the Gainesville, Florida area THE AMISTAD CASE, a stage play will be playing at the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre, February 8, 2001 - March 3, 2001.

Carol Velasques, Artistic Director
Acrosstown Repertory Theatre
P.O. Box 12924
Gainesville, FL 32604
352-375-1321

I used to live in Groton, Connecticut and I have been studying the Amistad incedent long before it was popular. Before I moved away, I belonged to a extracurricular group called the Amistad Friendship Society. We studyied the incedent and the regions in Africa that were involved in the slave trade and tried to get people involved in spreading the knowledge of the Amistad incedent. We were regulars to Mystic Seaport long before the Amistad Exibit existed and we got a preview of the exhibit before it opened and we got to watch some of the filming of Steven Speilberg's movie and we got to meet some of the cast. (sorry about that LOOOOONNNGGG speach) I just wanted to say that i think its great that Mystic Seaport opened this exhibit. This is an important event in our country's history that isnt too well known to most people.

As a white American, yet a cultural minority, I found the Amistad story both on of the most disturbing and uplifting I have seen in recent years. I feel that Van Buren was possibly one of the most evil of our presidents, exacerbated by the fact that he was the first born in the U.S. He tried to subvert the judicial system of this country in this case, and did not succeed because there were good men who did the right thing at the wrong time. These men followed their consience when personal ruin was a distinct possibility. But, then, what was Van Buren's legacy? The Amistad and the Trail of Tears! I went to an official website Presidency of the United States: http://www.ipl.org/ref/POTUS/ to look him up prior to writing this. They do not list the Amistad as one of his "notable" events, but do list the Trail of Tears. check it out.

Please,unswer me on this four Questions fast as much as possible.Thank you so much

1 Why did John Q. Adams decide to argue the case before the United States Supreme Court?

2 What role did the President of the United States play in the case?

3 Was the character portrayed by Morgan Freeman; historical?

4 Why were the Africans portrayed as caricatures?

In as much as we Africans live on this place called Earth, it is a fundamental urge that we bring to light the causes and the effects of this great revelation of the Amistad story, this is our story in fact. The Africans, as we see ourselves today in the changing world of Globalisation and Modern Science, Education, political and Economic development challenges, we need to seriously ask ourselves this one question : Have we an Answer to the Old Amistad? There is already the new ship that is here at the African coasts and she is taking our Resources both human and natural, physical and spiritual.The Refugee Ship !
I am deeply grateful for the people that took the pain to paint in glaring colours in words and in the prints and on the screen the AMISTAD. This web site will even help propagate the message of the dignity of the human being. I always refuse to hear the White man or the Black man, what I even detest is the "Give the Black man Human Rights", well we do not possess Animal Rights fundamentally, Humna Rights is our right and property, just as it is for the so called colonial races.
My Clarion call today is for Wise men to look into the Refugee Dilema. This is Slavery in a new Clothing! Amistad is on the sea again who will defend the Rights of the band and wagons of Africans streaming to Europe and America and the Arab Emirates, because their Chiefs-Presisents and Army Generals are "selling them to the master" again?

The Amistad decision was important because it affirmed that African's had an inalienable right to self defense. In the 1840s, international law was based upon the concept of natural law or law of nature. The natural law concept contends that there is a moral/ethic binding code that trancends all governments. Natural law bestows upon people certain inalienable rights, most notably being that of life, liberty and property. Most 19th century American and British jurists/natural law scholars agreed that the primary law of nature was that of self defence or self preservation. The law of self defense recognized that people were naturally inclined to defend themselves with physical force if their lives or property were threatened.The law of self defence meant that an individual could defend his life against an immediate and unjust attack upon his life. The law of self defence also gave individuals the right to oppose unjust, tyrannical governments through force. The law of self defence was embodied in the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence is a natural law document as it says that natural rights are granted to men by their Creator. One of the being the right/Duty to resist tyrannyical government.

In the 19th century, civil or positive law was seen as an extension of natural law. Slave owners were worried that judges would rule that slavery was unconstitutional or unjust because it violated natural law. Natural law inherently regards all people as soverign beings with the right of self defense/revolution. Slave owners feared that the courts would rule that blacks were soverign individuals with the right to self defence. Slave owners felt that the legal foundations of slavery would fall if the courts began to rule this way. If a black man had a right to self defence,he could rightfully resist being enslaved. If a black man had a right to self defence, he was therefore a soverign being. A soverign being could not legally or morally be enslaved. Slave owners did not recognize blacks as soverign beings and fought hard to keep such rulings out of court.

Most judges did not rule that blacks had a right to self defense because such a ruling would cause friction between the North and South. Also many Federal judges felt that their courts did not have the authority to rule that slavery
was unconstitutional or that blacks had a right to self defense because of the state soverignty doctrine. The state soverignty doctrine stated that slavery was protected by state law and could not be violated by federal law.

The Amistad was the first case in which an African's right of self defence was affirmed. The Amistad case occured in international waters and was under the jurisdiction of international law not U.S. Constitutional law. The lawyers for the blacks on the Amistad argued that they had a right to kill the Spaniards because they were soverign beings who were wrongly enslaved against their will. They had a right under the law of nature, to kill those men that tried to enslave them. The Amistad decision confirmed this right.

The rebuilding of Amistad is a good thing but it also could be not so great. Rebuilding of this ship will help to inform people of the past, and what has happened. I personally have not seen the Hollywood movie "Amistad" but I have heard some very good things. So the remaking of this ship will help to show the reality of what these slaves that were illegally imprisoned had to go through without all of the Hollywood stuff involved.
But also, these people are spending a lot of money. Sure this is going to be a museum and it is supposed to last many years compared to the ones built a long time ago. But that is still a lot of money. People are going to have to keep track of where this ship is in order to come see it. Where as if it were stationary people could just go and see it. In the end this will be very benefincial and informative to the public.

I feel that the rebuilding of the ship Amistad can have both positive and negative effects. A beneficial aspect of the project would be that people who do not understand the history of the slave trade from Africa to the United States can learn to truly understand the horror that it was. However, the rebuilding of this ship may be a waste of money in the eyes of some citizens, but they may be the people who need to learn the most. In conclusion, the decision to rebuild the Amistad will no doubt have countless positive results.

Racial differences do continue to divide people, although ideally, they should not. Rebuilding the Amistad in hopes of redempsion or forgiveness shows some growth in our culture and in ourselves. As a society, it is a virtue to be able to step back and say, "i am sorry, I was wrong".
Rebuilding the Amistad will give everyone a chance to reflect on the horrors of slavery. To be on a ship where such nightmarish things took place would be a moving experience, and one that would help engrain in our minds what happens when we hate and fear what we do not understand.

Racial differences do continue to divide people, although ideally, they should not. Rebuilding the Amistad in hopes of redempsion or forgiveness shows some growth in our culture and in ourselves. As a society, it is a virtue to be able to step back and say, "i am sorry, I was wrong".

Racial differences do continue to divide people, although ideally, they should not. Rebuilding the Amistad in hopes of redempsion or forgiveness shows some growth in our culture and in ourselves. As a society, it is a virtue to be able to step back and say, "i am sorry, I was wrong".

As you and everyone knows at one time, history will always repeat itself. Only this time, we might be able to avoid such incidences. Rebuilding the Amistad was a way to get people to know about the history of the slave trade and to get people involved in minorities. What is the operation of the Amistad sopposed to be? That question we might never know.
However, there is one thing certain about the Amistad, it was a damn good movie, I liked it. For the name of Amistad to be redeemed, it needs to have a flawless operational record for at least a year or so. I mean if we can't forgive Pete Rose for gambling, how will we ever forgive an illegal slave trade ship? Questions to think about when you see the ship floating in New York Harbor.

The true victory of this story is that it is a tale that amazes the mind. The many twists and turns that the trial of the slaves took, the many claims put upon them and the final decision for their freedom. A former president argued their case in the Supreme Court. A queen requested they be returned to her subjects. It can't have held more fire and fury than the abolishionists that put their time and effort into it.
Maybe the Amistad has already been redeemed, with or without a newly built ship to sail. Maybe it was redeemed in those lucky Africans who got to returned to their freedom, for better or worse. There is great difference in dying in freedom and dying in bondage.

Racial differences continue to be one of the central problems that are dividing people. It continues to be one of the main reasons why dissagreements begin. The Amistad Program is a wonderful way to symbolize the struggle for equality and human rights. It will become a constant reminder that you must treat all people equally reguardless of skin color.
Not only will it serve a racial equality reminder, it is a classroom on water. It is a place where kids and adults can go to not only learn the facts behind Amistad, but actually see where it happened. I think it is a great contribution to learning more about the history of the world, by reopening the past

Imagine living day by day, as a slave. Hard to believe but fifty three African Americans had to experince the cold side of life. They were poor and basically had their lives taken away from them. Not just a show box movie, but "Amistad" is a real life movie that took the lives of the kidnapped Africans.
I was surprised to see that John Quincey Adams stood up for the black men. I didn't think that a white man would stand up for them. Back in the old days, there were many people who were prejudice and racist. It's nice to see how people help in other in need. Especially how the slaves were suffering and needed some attention. It took nearly three years for the slaves to return safely to their homelands.

Spielberg's "Amistad" is a very moving portrayal of the suffering that innocent people were forced to live through. After hearing about the plan to launch the boat that was rebuilt in honor of the vessal that caused so much pain for so many people I thought of just how much more moving the experience of actually walking through a replica of such an amazing ship would be. The Amistad Revolt is an important part of our history; it shows what we are capable of doing to other human beings in the name of greed, but it also that if you care enough you really can make a difference and change people's lives.
I find it hard to believe that something like this could have happened and sometimes I wish it was just one of Hollywood's pathetic attempts at a new story but this time they actually took it out the pages of our history. When I first read the article of the monument to the Amistad I didn't feel that it was necessary to have built it but I know that there are people out there who refuse to see the importance of recognizing the torture and unwarranted injustices forced upon slaves and I think that it just might take a big boat staring at them in the face for them to finally see the truth.

From the time I first saw the movie "Amistad" I have found it a very intrigueing case. 53 African slaves revolting for their freedom. It sounds like something right out of Hollywood, but it was a read and actual event. What a tragic part of our history. Tragic in both the entire era of our nation, and tragic on the individual level that these poor people ripped from their homeland, were not rightfully retuned for two and half years.

When I first heard that the ship that was the setting for this tragedy was going to be rebuilt, I questioned the motives. I did not see how preserving a horrific part of out history was going to do anybody any good, and may just bring about awful memories to others, more closely related to the story. But when I visited the website, I found the mission to this journey through history and learned that the new ship will teach history, cooperation, and leadership to Americans of all ages, races, and cultuaral backrounds. My mind has changes positions, and now I am in favor of rebuilding this ship that says so much about our history.

I found this website to be very helpful to me in doing a project for my civics/government class. I am very surprised to find out that John Quincy Adams stood up on behalf of the African-Americans. I thought that in the 1800's white men were completely racist towards Africans and would never have tried to help them.

You can't help but wonder how 53 kidnapped Africans, were able to revolt for four years (1839-1842) during a time when the opposition of slavery was very strong. First, and foremost, we see strong determination by Cinque, the African primarily responsible for this revolt. We know by the testimonies he gave in America, that he was a 20 year-old, married, father of three who was taken from his town.
But who dared to help these Africans' case once they got to America? By facts, we see that U.S. President Martin Van Buren paid little attention to the case, and let his cabinet handle the majority of it. Van Buren was mostly concerned with the problem going away, as he saw this as a potential diplomatic crisis with Spain and a slave revolt. Although, we must not forget to mention, Van Buren did put federal attorneys on the case, and he did reject an effort to immediately have these Africans shipped to Cuba. Two parts which did give ample support to these Africans. But the majory of the support came from Roger Sherman Baldwin and Lewis Tappan. Baldwin was the defense attorney for the captives, and came from a family and father who greatly opposed slavery. Tappan helped the slaves by publically dramatizing the evils of slave trade at a time when abolitionsist were not liked.

Wow, what an incredible story. I had never heard of the Amistad before visiting this web-site. I think the rebuilding of this historic ship is a great idea. By rebuilding this ship we are encouraging everyone to look into the Amistad's story if they have not already. From this web-site I was able to learn the whole story to go behind this tragic event. How the Africans were enslaved and traded or sold. I still to this day do not understand how any human can sell another human for such goods as rum, tabacco, gunpowder,cloth, etc. What a horrible thought to think that someone could have sold one of your family members for rum!
After I read through this entire web-site I found myself coming away with a lot more than just the story of the Amistad. I found myself thanking God that I have the FREEDOM that I have today. Freedom is something none of us should take for granted as we can certainly learn from this story.

I cannot comprehend how the rebuilding of a ship, like the Amistad, can be a joyous and fulfilling event. I do not believe that the Amistad represents something that we as Americans should be proud of. Slavery should not be looked at as a great point in American history. The effects of slavery can still be seen in certain areas of the United States. Whenever we hear that there was a conflict between two different races, particularly black and white, we think of how it all began with slavery and the domination of a certain race. I believe that people should be educated about the Amistad and the revolt but not in the way of building the replica of the Amistad. It seems to me that by rebuilding the ship, it's reviving the hate, the slaughter, and the enslavement of people. I hope after they have their coming out party for the Amistad, they never sail it again.

In many ways I can understand the idea of rebuilding a historical monument type of structure but in this case, I find it extremely hard to understand why anyone would want to rebuild something that represents something so awful. Slavery is something that we, as Americans, should not be proud of as part of our pasts. The way that we treated these Africans was extremely shameful and disgusting. Some of these prejudice ideas still exist today and I believe that these are the downfalls of our country.
At the same time, although the Amistad resembles suffering, it also resembles freedom of the slaves after they went through years of imprisonment and hardships. They did eventually get to return to their homeland, but it took many abolitionists and believers in the innocence of these Africans in order to set them free. Personally, I do not think that the rebuilding of Amistad can make Americans feel anything but shame of their own ancestors.

It seems that we have not learned from the Amistad, and the honorable actions of John Quincy Adams. Namely the lesson that people need to be FREE and that Freedom is the founding basis of our Nation. The recent actions by our goverment in regard to a small six year old child who sought to escape slavery by coming to our shores (interestingly enough also from off of the coast of Cuba) is a clear sign that we have lost our way. I would hope that the message of the Amistad would cause all Americans to rededicate themselves to the concept of Freedom for all who reach our shores.

The Amistad's history goes back with the historical trade triangle and Captain Ferrer. On probably a normal trade run this trade (not slave) ship was transporting 53 slaves to the island of Cuba to recieve goods in exchange for the slaves. Then happened the famous mutiny on the Amistad were the slaves uprised and fought the ships crew. The mutiny was put down and the slaves imprisoned only to be found innocent on trial under legal guidance from John Quincy Adams.
This schooner held at least 60 people during this historical journey/revolt and the leader of the revolt was a man named Cinque. The Amistad, meaning "friendship" in Spanish, was named after the trial of the Slaves over murder because the ship brought them out of Africa as slaves and brought the 35 remaining Africans back to Sierra Leone as free men.

As we all know, the word amistad means "friendship." riiiiight. that was very friendly, to capture and enslave some people. i say way to lay the smack down though, go cinque. he did some good. and 35 of them making it in the end, that's pretty good odds for those days.
i think it's quite interesting that the cubans could successfully turn the ship around each night and were lucky enough to get the northerly winds and currents to take them to NY. more than just a coincidence i say..... (goverment conspiracy?)

My opinion on the movie is that the way the slaves were treated was terrible. No human should have been subjected to such mistreatment. I believe that if John Q. Adams had not have helped in the Supreme Court trial the slaves would not have been set free. In conclusion I feel that the movie was a fine example of the mistreatment of slaves.

I thought the movie "Amastad" was very interesting. I think it was cruel that the Spanish went to Africa and kidnapped the slaves then went to Cuba and America to sell them. Not just for slavery, but they also had to abuse and kill them. When they were then brought to trial after Cinque and the other slaves attacked and killed the Spanish men who kidnapped them it was good that John Quincy Adams helped the slaves be freed.

After watching the movie, Amistad, I was shocked and appalled at the treatment of the African Americans. I thought that in the movie that there was no need for two cases on the same subject. Listening to the story of the slaves was very upsetting, and the way they were treated was very harsh. The judge and jury should of sided with the African-Americans from the very beginning.

I feel that the movie graphically displayed the mistreatment of slaves during the early 1800's.
During their court trials Cinque and his people fought for their freedom. After their first successful trial the case was applead to the Supreme Court. This is when I saw that the turning point was found in John Q. Adams. I found the Supreme Court made the right decision in freeing the slaves. In conclusion, I found the movie both entertaining, and informative.

In the movie Amistad, I feel that the enslaved Africans had the right to kill the men to try to break free and go back to their homeland. They had a right to their freedom. As the Declaration of Independence states, "all men are created equal" and your ethnicity or religion shouldn't matter. They were taken by Montez and Ruiz against their own free will and put aboard the Tecora. Aboard, they were abused, beaten, and were starved for days at a time. And to break free, they killed the men keeping them on the ship. The jury made the right decision to set them free, but I think they should of transported them back to where they came from.

I think that the movie,Amistad, was a disturbing but informative movie about the realities of slavery and thier horrifying journey to America. Slavery was a terrible thing and thier treatment went beyond inhumane. The founding fathers in the Declaration of Independence wrote, "All men are created equal". People are people, man woman, black or white and they deserve respect and right to freedom and life. The story shows the dark, evil side to the human soul, but also illustrates courage and bravery that goes beyond words.

I think it was very cruel how the slaves were treated while on the amistad.
I beleive that the lawyer that was on Cinque's side was right when he said that the slaves were from Africa and not from Cuba.
This movie taught me alot on how the slaves were treated; I actually felt how the slaves felt. And it also taught me alot on history and who were the people who contributed to the stopping of slavery.

I feel that this case was handeled in a very immoral way. I feel this because the defendants had to prove their case in front of two different judges, one hand picked, and also in fornt of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Africans and thier lawyers were mistreated and should not have had to go through so many trials to win the case. This showed how the government leaders such as Martin Van Buren bent the Constitution and the right owed to every man of freedom, just so he could win re-election. The slaves were taken from their homes and deserved to fight for their freedom. They should have had a fair trial and were denied that right. The final decision in this case was good because it gave the Africans their freedom and a chance to go home.

I thought the movie "Amastad" was a very good movie. It was very interesting; at least it was to me. I really enjoyed watching something about black history. The capturing of the slaves, the trip to America, and their 3-year battle for freedom interested me a lot. It showed what the slaves went through; the pain and suffering that affected all the captured African Americans. I was interested in the cases that went one for their fight for freedom. And I liked that John Quincy Adams joined the case to help people he didn't even know, and help them fight for their freedom. And as he said "We were once a country that was under ruling, and now we are free." So in my eyes, I believe that they should be free and that was the Supreme Court's decision was to set them free and let them return to Africa or even some of them to stay in the U.S. I also thought that it was extremely cruel that the Spanish would go to Africa, and kidnap Africans so that they would go to Cuba and America to sell them. And thank God that Montes and Ruiz were arrested and probably thrown into prison. That is the true power of the government, and this time, the government was on the Africans side.

My opinion on the amistad is amazed. the horrifying conditions made me unable to watch some parts of the movie, i cant even image being there and going through that. the mende people werent harming no one and all of a sudden they were trapped and locked up and thrown onto a much to over crowded boat. i have no idea where this people got off tinking that they could do such a thing to human beings. i am really happy that i was not a black person born in that day of age. the conditions that they were put threw no one not even a animal should be put threw. and for what were these people doing this for?for money? it scares me to try to undertsand what they were thinking about, that they could torture and kill these innocent people. i do not believe in any type of racism. i believe that everyone should be treated equal and no on should think that they are higher then anyone such things just for the benifit of money.

I enjoyed this story alot. What was done to the black people was very wrong. I think that what they did to the slaves was a cruel and heartless thing to do. Also towards the end of the movie the trial was very unfair towards the slaves at the start of the trial. They didn't have much of a chance until the priest became the judge of the court.

In the movie The Amistad, I felt it was extremely disturbing to see what the African Americans went through and then they had to go through a trial where they had to have other people figure out their crime or punishment. The only crime they commited was the crime to be free. In the end, even though they became free, their lives were ruined because they all had to start a new life - no matter where they went.

Justin Ramirez

Sometimes people believe that they are greater than another person because of their skin color, or their ethnicity. There is nothing wrong with that; but when the person begins to degrade the other because of this, then there is a problem. We all know that back in the beginning of America becoming a nation, slavery was a problem. Whites believed that they had supremacy over the black race. In this true story, Amistad, blacks were taken from their land and put into a harsh and deadly situation. Africans from the Mendee tribe were taken on the Tecora and brought over to Cuba. The sick part about it was this journey. The Africans were literally put one on top of the other. They were fed hardly anything and were slaughtered if the white slave owners thought they were use less, or if they saw a British ship coming near. I believe this is just inhumane. How can a person do this to another? What gives the person the amount of anger that could posses a man to this? It befuddles me. But as I was saying this was the hard part. After they reached Cuba they were washed and put into a fort. Then they were sold to slave owners in Spain. The Africans were given Spanish names, so that the slave owners can say that they are of a Latino descent.
Cinque and his people went through great struggle with the courts of America, but in the end they prevailed. In my opinion I believe the courts need to look more into the true meaning of the legal system, and stop trying to manipulate it. What I mean about this is, that people basically know what’s right and wrong, all we need is God to lead us in the right direction. This is what the courts are based on, and what we need to truly follow. I think John Quincy Adams knew this, and therefore decided to help Cinque. This is why his people won, and were freed from slavery. It was the right thing to do, and nothing could prove that other wise. The movie I believe was accurate to the fact of what Cinque’s people really went through. Also the politics that involved the decision that changed America forever.

I just saw the movie Amistad. I really didn't like watching certain parts of the movie, like the beginning when they showed the slaves attacking the Spaniards. i also didn't like watching when they were bringing the them to Cuba, where they showed the slaves being beaten and mistreated. Overall the movie was very interesting and informative. It made me realize what really went on in those days.

My opinion of the Amistad is that it was wrong and cruel with what they did to those people. They shouldnt have treated them the way they did. They weren't treated like real people they weren't really treated like anything.

After viewing the movie Amistad in my history class I know I am now truly aware of the pain and suffering slaves went through. The vividness of the pain that was portrayed in the movie was very disturbing. It is amazing to see how the human race reacts to and views someone that is different. We are truly harsh in the treatment of the people around us, we should not judge someone by the way they look or their backround, instead we should judge someone by their personality and their maturity as a person. The movie Amistad portrayed the stupidity of the human race as a whole in regards to the way we view a person by the way they look.

I believe that the story of Amistad was a great movie. It shows the real problems that comes up in slavery. What i liked most about it is when they show when they're on the ship. HOw they barely let them eat and how they get slaughtered for no apparent reason. In the end of the story they let Cinque and his people go back to Africa. I think this had a big effect in our nations laws about slavery

The whole story about the Amistad and Cinque is a very good one. It mad me think about how cruel people were back then and how they was treat people so badly just because of their skin color. Slaves were taken from their homes and their families and transported to Cuba where they got names and then taken to the US were they were to be sold, but ended up going to trial there. I thought the case was a fairly respected one, the descion was definitely fair.

The story of the Amistad really moved me. I think it is wrong to treat people the way the africans were treated. I had no idea that slaves were treated so badly, and in some cases killed. It really tought me a lot about how little respect people were give just because of the color of their skin. No one could see behind that. Some people weren't even interested in hearing their story. That one lawyer and Adamns were the only ones who seemed to care at all. I think it's wrong for people to be taken out of their homes and villages to illegally be exported into slavery. To me, people are people no matter what color or race, and should be treated with equality. The way Cinque and his people were treated was inhumane, as well as any slaves.

I was racially abused for being a Scotsman like Groundskeeper Willie in the Simpsons during important soccer matches between England and Scotland.

Umm... I am just a 9th grade student who just saw the movie "Amistad" and I am really interested in something. Someone in my classroom told us Cinque later became a slave hunter? Is this true? Please, I need to know before Monday, or my teacher is not going to be too happy... Believe me.

I have to admit, I was deeply disturbed after viewing the movie "Amistad" in my eleventh grade religion class last week. While I have been taught about slavery my entire life, to me, this movie truly portrayed the pain and suffering that the victims underwent.
Also, I have just one thing to those of you who said it sucked--Can you make no other intelligent comment other than-it sucked-? I can understand if you did not like the book/movie, but at least have enough sense to back up your statement.

Some of us have been attempting to determine whether the Baltimore Clipper which participated in the chase of the "Amistad" named "Valiant" was also named "Nonsuch" in a prior life. If so, then perhaps this vessel was the same one which plied the waters between St. Croix and St. Thomas in the former Danish West Indies, now the U.S. Virgin Islands.Page 4 in "Slave Mutiny" by William A. Owens (NY: The John Day Company, 1953) indicates that the "Valiant" participated in the chase. Does anyone have any information relating to the Baltimore Clipper named "Valiant" which served the Virgin Islands? Perhaps someone might want to take a look at a new book, "The Schooner Vigilant of St. Croix" by David M. Hamilton (the author: Christiansted, VI, 1999. Robert V. Vaughn, Ed.D., P.O. Box 1122, Christiansted, VI 00821, Tel/Fax 340-778-8465 rvvaughn@worldnet.att.net. Thanks

I thank you very much for the information given in these articles. It was excellent in reporting as much information as possible to the public (the Races) , so that we all could see the world, what it was then, and how much that has changed mankind's view of life today. If one could invision the realities of that drama and then stop, think, and pray that we in this society do not have to live the way different societies have given one their lot in life, it would deeply help us to understand who, what, where, and why do people terminate others lives in certain areas of this world that we so love so deeply.

Just for a minute, put yourselves in the place of someone about to lose his or her life because of money. Not for hatred-anger-race-or any other reason one could come up with. Just pure greed. You see many people have been put into slavery for one reason or the other. From Egypt (People There-Hebrews) to this day, so called 21st century.

We live in a society where we are told poor is bad and rich is good, so we in this place that we dwell, chose to be rich because it is good and truly sell our soul for that dollar bill. Now we build the ship the way we want to, too carry what ever passengers we put on board.

In some cases it is our own families, friends, strangers, old, young, animals, male, female and the list goes on and on. So to tell the truth we must look at this fact in history and ask ourselves -- What type of ship have I built to make it in this New World? One, to bring one to freedom or to destruction? Or two, one that will eventually be the cause of my destruction and those that choose to sail with me.

The Education is ours to learn nomatter what our race.
True, history is the past, But mankind is now.
We are family. Eyes-nose-mouth-hands-feet-and speech though different we are the same, this is a fact. One that will never be changed until the end of time.

I was born in 1953 in New London CT and went to a supposedly good Catholic school. We were never taught ANY of this story despite the fact that it had local roots. I have just read a great deal of the website with my 8 year old and hope to visit the Amistad replica before it leaves the Seaport. Plese remember how much we do NOT know, even today, about the practice of slavery in our country. This must be taught in our schools.

A couple of things here.
1. You people are talking as if it is still happening.
1800 - 2000 = 200 years. Tragic maybe. Out of place for
sure. But this needs to go way side. As far as it is not
the true accounts, and it is depected poorly.
2. If a film comes out and an actor is good has no bearing
if the movie is true and correct. The sway point for
drama is not always a truthful one.
3. More thought is placed on slavery and what happened 200
years ago than is place on 40 - 50 years ago. How about
the POW's that still are not on American soil? How long
do we pay for something that has not happened to us or by
us?
4. If you need a better soap box look at Dr. Josef
Mengele. Who is he? How about: Nazi "Angel of Death"
This happened in Auschwitz in 1943. Think about it.
These people still live. Not the Dr. Himself but people
like him. Want a good movie to watch, go see Apt Pupil.
Read about it:
http://va.crimelibrary.com/mengele/main.htm
This should be your focus, but no they are lost, and why?
It did not concern you? Hummm... the rest of the world
feels the same way.
5. Focus people. 50 years to 200 years.

well it wasnt good but it was ok, i iked it a bit

well ---- you!

Miracle Reed Rigeland,S.C

My feeling towards Black History, slavery, and the Amistad is all the same. I feel that Black History should not only be celebrated in Feburary, but every month. I think besides Indians, blacks have endure more things than any other race. To me slavery was nothing but a mistake. Why would you sell out your own, some even being your flesh and blood. Many reasons for slavery in a lack of intelligence. I think if you could turn back the hands of time many people would realize what a mistake they made and wish they never did it. It's sad to hear that slavery is still going on in many countries today. Maybe if they stop and think about if it was the other way around would they like it if someone did that to them? The Amistad was great the only thing I didn't like about the movie was how they chained up the people legs. When I saw that I wondered how can a person do that without caring. Overall the book was nice, my opinion on slavery didn't change, and Black History should be longer.

What was done was rong and crul. If people had nothing better to do than be rasist pigs, and treat people like trash because of their skin colour and belifes, then that just shows how pathetic our rase really is. Human slavory should of always been a crime. Those people Could feel pain just like the other people on the ship. What happened gives a white's a bad name.

sorry buy i thought the whole thing really sucked like all the killing people what a load of c---

what was done was very wrong the movie and what happened in real life was a completely different story. I think that if people had nothing better to do, than capture people for slavery then shame on them, because it was a cruel and heartless, thing to do. The trial could also been a little fairer at the start of the trial the didn't have much of a chance because the man representing them did not even know where theycame from.

I do not agree with all of this slavery that has been going on back in the days. Slavery existed back in the book of Exodus when the Egyptians were enslaving Hebrews. Then the Whites started enslaving the Blacks. I am glad for those slaves who did revolt. I am alos gld for the Emancipation Proclamation which set the slaves free. I do not think that slaves should have existed in the first place. I f people want something done, they should do it themselves. If they can not they should pay the person or ask them nicely to do it, not just beat them to death.

It sucked i thought it really suck. sorry

Isn't it interesting?! Selling your race or even a human is like selling a child a piece of candy. Why? Why did my country have to take part in this terrible act of ignorance and then regret it's faults in the future, which is our present. For me, slavery is a subject of several emotions. Such as: confusion; aggravation; mind racing thoughts; sadness; and happiness. It doesn't matter who reads about slavery because every person is effected by it in some way. I believe and know for a fact that slavery wasn't only a black and white engagement for people in the U.S., but it was worldwide. Blacks being enslaved by whites is important but we sometimes act as if it was the only segment of slavery that ever exist. Did you know that in different parts of the world slavery continues todays? The students, including myself, of my young scholars English class has studied about slavery all over. And with more knowledge about it, the better we a citizens of this country understand it. Instead of us blaming a certain race or any race of our difficluties, we realized that every race has taken part in the mishaps of our world.

In response to the torture my ancestors indured,all I can do is thank God it's over. February is black history month. It's the time set out to praise and recognize the struggles and achievements of black Americans. It's the time we're reminded of the past. Our assignments of research couldn,t have come at a better time. The book, Amistad, and all the informaton we're digging up give's us a stronger hold on our past, while maximizing our capacity of info.

I felt that this book "Amistad" was ok because it shows the hardship of slavery.But then again I didn't really read the whole book but what I did read was good.

Recently the young scholars of Jasper County High School, have researched some information on slavery. We have recovered some information the Amistad, some slave revolts, and many other things. I was really hurt to hear these things, especially since they are all real and true. Slavery has opened my eyes. I never thought the blacks of long ago would think about selling each other. I personally thought they would be more involved in sticking together and living together a one, as a black strong family. But it has occured to me that the blacks were the main ones selling each other into slavery. Even today, in other countries slavery is still happening. What can we do?
My school, Jasper County High School, are one of those schools who is said to be off the chains. In other words we always want to do something to help the next man, or the school. We even set up a petition in our school to being down the Confederate Flag. We are straving to make it to the top and with prayer and faith we will get there.

After researching on various slave revolts and reading the novel Amistad, I have mixed feelings. I am shocked to learn that slaves revolted against more times than the history books mention, but I am also happy that the slaves did what the had to do to gain what was indeed theirs- their right to be free. I also feel sorry for the way that these PEOPLE were treated. I mean what gives anybody the right to treat these men so cruelly because of the color of their skin. GOD created all men to be equal and that's the way it should have been.

In response to the torture my ancestors indured,all I can do is thank God it's over. February is black history month. It's the time set out to praise and recognize the struggles and achievements of black Americans. It's the time we're reminded of the past. Our assignments of research couldn,t have come at a better time. The book, Amistad, and all the informaton we're digging up give's us a stronger hold on our past, while maximizing our capacity of info.

After reading Amistad and reading the Slave Revolts, I feel that slavey is wrong. I think that slavery should have been banned when it first started.Man I just feel so bad about slavey. I was reading in the Bible and it was saying how Egyptians and how they enslaved the Whites. They was just having a discussion about it and they reminded me. I am glad for those slaves that did revolt. I would have done more that than what some of them did. I probably would have flipped on them.

Hello. After doing research on various slave revolts and reading the book "The Amistad", I realized I didn't know as much about African American History. I was also amazed at the amount of determination, strenght, and will power they all had. I sometimes wonder if I could of had the strenght and faith they had day in and day out, knowing that the whole reason I was in that situation was because people felt I was inferior to them just because. The fact that blacks enslaved other lacks is still a mystery to me and I guess I'll never know. Good bye.

I think this was a very long book. I think that if you really want to learn about slavery. You would have to read this book, "Amistad". Also vist their web site. This was an "alright" book but i thought it to be some-what boring. But if you want to learn about slave trade you couldn't possibly go without reading a summary of this book.
It did have some very interesting points and the court trials were some-what interesting since I was in a Criminal Justice class for half a semester.

I have read the book Amistad and reseached on several slave revolts and I really learned alot.I learned that Cinque was a real strong black man that was determined to return to his family.I also learneed that he would look out for others that he knew and didn't know and he didn't want people to tell him what to do and when to do it.To me he is a positive role model that his kids would love to follow. I really enjoyed reading the book,researching the revolts,and most of all browsing the web site.

The people involved in the Amistad rebellion were some really brave people. I'm glad most of them survived because the majority of them were taken from off the streets when they were minding their own business, or the were made a slave because their family members were in debt. One of the persons who made a significant impression on me was Sarah Magru Kinson. I was glad she was able to turn her life around. She was able to deal with her past, and still become an intelligent teacher, but I wish people knew what happened to her. I would like to find out how she lived her life.

Ebony N. Wilson
Hello, I'm a sophomore in high school and I am so excited to be able to discuss these topics with people within my own age limit. I have just read the Amistad and I felt like this book has only confirmed my feeling about slavery and bondage all along. I also looked up some slave revolts and I have found a very interesting one and I would like to share it with you. In 1851, African Abolitionist crashed into a courtroom in Boston and rescued a fugitive enslaved African on Feb. 15th. This act of courage has helped me to realize just how much faith these people must have had, because they could have died or could have been injured. T he car or whatever the rode in could have blown up or caught on fire. So many things could have happened. But my ancestors didn't even have a second thought about their actions. They took a risk and succeeded. I always knew that my people would not go through life and not have an effect on those of the opposite race. I was suprised to find that whites put their lives on the line for us. I know that all whites are not prejudice and racist. I also realize that many of the whites suffered for the right cause, so during this research I have foud out alot. Wel I hope that I have reached someone I hope that I've had some kind of influence on you. If you would like to discuss my story and if you have other issues then email me at Cheeks_15_2000_2000@YAHOO.COM OR DESIRE_3465@BLACKPLANET.COM

I hope that I have made a difference in your life!

PATRICIA R. WILLIAMS
JASPER COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL
FEBRUARY 9,2000

AS A YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICA FEMALE OF THE Y2K,I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO CONTEMPLATE ON ALL OF THE THINGS THAT MY ANCESTORS HAD TO GO THROUGH TO GET US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
A LOT OF BLOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS WENT INTO MAKING THIS ONE OF THE FREEST NATIONS IN THE WORLD.WHEN I THINK OF ALL OF THE SLAVE REVOLTS,A SURGE OF PRIDE GOES THROUGH MY WHOLE BODY. IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT THERE WERE SOME STRONG-MINDED AND STRONG-WILLED AFRICAN AMERICANS BACK THEN. THEY KNEW THEY WERE PUT ON THIS EARTH FOR A PURPOSE AND IT WASN'T TO BE A SLAVE.

HI EVERYONE WHO IS READING THIS RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would like to say that even though this is an Amistad forum, I would like to say a few things about slavery in the world today and the Confederate Flag, which is flying over my state capitol.
Slavery in Pakistan is getting out of hand. Even though we do not live there, there should still be something done. We are the most developed country in this world, adn you mean to tell me we can't even help a fellow country???? I DON'T THINK SO!!!!!!
The flag is a very symbolic flag I must admit, but does it have to fly over my house( the state house)? Can't it just be in a museum so it doesn't put down anyone. I know that's not fair to the people who have bled and died inthat war to haveit flyng, but at the same time, can we look at a little black child and say,"Do you know what that flag symbolizes? It symbolizes a time of war and prejudice, both at the same time." I didn't think you can so please help me help you take down the flag.

I do not think that slavery should not exist. If people want something done, they should do it themselves. If they can not, they should pay people to do it. Slavery existed back in the days of the Bible. Egyptians were enslaving Whites. Now the table has turned and Whites were enslaving Blacks.I would not enslave anyone and I do not want anyone to enslave me.

I've finished reading the Amistad and it's very touching and depressing to see how they take Cinque out of his world and put him into another world were he willbe a slave.I was glad that the trial took seccion and the verdict was infavor of Cinque. I also read soem of the articles dealing with slave revolts, and I was amazed of reading so many stories about people being killed without even knowing the reason for being killed. I can't believe King Siaka and Pedro Blanco were so evill into trading people into slavery hopefully they were punished for what they did because it isn't fair to take a person freedom.

I think that the movie Amistad was a good way to show what happened in the past. People wrote different things about how they hated this movie and that it was dumb but they need to understand that this movie was based on facts not fiction. They also need to think that if they had to put a movie together based on things that happened in the past would it be as interesting as this movie is, I think not. This movie was very good and I would like to see more history movies like it.

I'm glad that those days of slavery are over. I couldn't live in those days because somebody would have killed me or I would have ended up killing somebody.
I know that it had to be very painful for African Americans in those days because they couldn't even sit in a diner and eat lunch with white people.After a hard days of work, they had to stand on the bus if the white people didn't have a seat.What made them so special that they just couldn't stand up and wait until someone got up.
Well I don't really like talking about these kinds of things so this is the end.

I think that the move Amistad was a good way to show what happened in the past. People wrote different things about how they hated this movie and that it was dumb but they need to understand that this movie was based on facts not fiction. They also need to think that if they had to put a movie together based on things that happened in the past would it be as interesting as this movie is, I think not. This movie was very good and I would like to see more history movies like it.

I THINK WE SHOULD ALL BE TREATED WITH RESPECT AND LOVE, THEIR SHOULDN'T BE ANY TYPE OF DISTINGUISHMENT, WEN IF YUO HAVE MONY, OR IF YUO ARE OF DIFFERENT COLOR, OR ANY TYPE OF MATERIAL THAT OTHERS MAY NOT HAVE. WE SHORLD ALL BE TREATED WITH MUCH RESPECT, WITHIN ANY ONE WHO HAS LIFE IN THIS WORLD.

Sergeant Kirkland's Museum and Historical Society, 8 Yakama Trial, Spotsylvania, VA < http://www.kirklands.org/ >is developing a Web site about the American Brig Creole < http://www.kirklands.org/Creole1.htm >In terms of numbers the most successful slave revolt that ever occurred in U.S. History. What makes it interest is that this revolt was caused by Virginia African-Americans on a Richmond Brig, in Nov 1841, months after the Amistad affair ended.

I have been doing research on another black period in North American history - the deportation of all French speaking people from Acadia - present day Nova Scotia, Canada - in 1755. While this event in no way rivals the overwhelming evil of the slave trade, these people were crammed into boats in conditions similar to slavers, and of around 14,000 people shipped out, less than 8,000 survived.

In my research I found that many of the Acadians who survived the brutal 18th century "etnic cleansing" were sent back to France. In 1785, a large number of these people in France came to Louisiana. many on board a ship called "L'Amitie" in French, but also known as "La Amistad". Is there any chance this is the same boat on which the revolt took place?

If anyone knows, please e-mail me!

Thanks,
Kit Eakle
kit@musickit.com

I just watched the Movie Amistad and read the previous postings in this list. I also was taken by the particular brutality slave trade. These things really happened. What causes man to treat other men so incredibly cruelly? Not just here, but in cases throughout history and going on even now as we speak?
As a middle class white female, living in a safe war free zone of the USA, its hard to imagine the forces that would cause me to behave this way. Yet in an indirect way, am I applying the shackels when I buy a cheap product from Target that was made in China by slave labor? A sanitized cruelty? What do you think?

"NO ONE" wrote:
"hi everybody-who-bothers-to-read-this!
i think that the amistad was great and all, but um, why do we need a web site? "

Answer: He who fails to learn the lessons of the past are doomed to relive them.

I think more importantly than the silly stuff above are questions like:
1) Whites who owned cattle kept records of their breeds and breeding practices. Where are the records (if any) of the breeding of slaves? Hidden, I'm sure.
2) What was the punishment for "beastiality" in the old south, and were any slave owners ever punished under beastiality laws for the rape of their "3/5ths human" property which produced offspring?
.
.
.
.
1,000,000:....

Hi, i belive that Martin van buren should have been impeached for interrupting the decision of the court. cinque, as a leader, had already learned to speak english, but no one else knew that he could except colonel pendleton, thejailer, and the africans. slavery was the dumbest thing that early americans have done in history. ruiz and montes, the ships watchmen, should havebeen killed because anotonio and cinque's other friend Burna, who spoke English, and they could have used montes to steer in the correct direction and kept each african moving in turns of steering in order to not be tricked by him! we need to protest the elimination of van buren from the history of presidents. i love reading about slavery, but i dont because it was so sad by the way the people were killed and the wrongdoing they went through! more than half of them were killed. i hope to get e-mails from people! hope to chat with some of you about this conflict.

I think the slaves were people not property.They deserved to be set free.
In school we have a law teem that trys to prove something. Were trying to prove that the saves ARE PEOPLE NOT PROPERTY!

Last year we watched the movie Amistad for our World History class. I was completely fascinated with the story! By the time the slave stood up in the courtroom and was saying "give us free", i felt like standing up and yelling it too! PLEASE email me if you know of any organizations that deal with Africa today and their society and helping them. I would LOVE to go to a country in Africa to work with these people and help them with what they are dealing with now. i read a few of the other things posted here before i wrote this and to whoever said that this was dumb and that history is dumb- you have a lot to learn, if we don't learn from history, we'll only repeat our mistakes! maybe this time YOU'LL be the one that gets screwed over! people can be so ignorant! soemtimes i think that we're over-priveleged in the US- there are so many people that still live in horrible situations and need help!

We just recently watched Amistad in our US History Class. The movie was not only touching but, completey remarkable. I mean you could feel the hate and the struggle and all of the feelings. I like the point where John Quincy Adams agrues in front of the Supreme Court that is Cinque was white that he would be a hero and be in all the textbooks. Because it is true. Cinque fought for freedom and that makes him a hero. And I am glad that we did in deed learn about him and that this movie was made in honor of the Africans.

I was really dissapointed when I came to the story section to find only 2 other stories were posted?!?!?!!? Why?? This is such an easy subject to write on so COME ON PEOPLE and voice your opinoin already :P

Nicky

Amistad is my favourite movie, not only because of the terrific story, but also because of the great actors and lines. The movie starts up pretty sad
with some violent scenes, and ends happily, and that is great timing, cause
the good parts is what you think about when you leave the cinema. I think
John Quincy Adams died some years before the amistad-case, but it was however right to involve him. Cinque is a great actor, you may see the hatred in his eyes. The scene in the courtroom where he shouts "Give us free", is what impresses people. The music in the background is perfectly
composed, and that it VERY important to create a mood. Thank you for a
terrific movie.

Dalmiz

We did not live this, nor can even begin to contimplate what those slaves went through. Yeah, the web is a "playground" for some, but others use it as much more. Just one click of your mouse and you learn something new, and astonishing. It's much easier than searching through some library. If you don't like this sites or any like this one, then don't visit it. Make room for those that do. The internet is our future and is a way to get kids to learn their history, taking their focus off of violence. Maybe this way we can avoide incidents such as the ones that have occured in those schools. I'd much rather have sites like these on the internet, as oppose to the pornography, cults and filth that is out there. Keep this page going! I've learned so much from it and am glad I came here.

hi everybody-who-bothers-to-read-this!
i think that the amistad was great and all, but um, why do we need a web site? no one really cares. i'm not here from my own will. Oh, and all you anti-slavery people, i'm all for you, but maybe you should focus on america's tedious school systems, instead of non-existant slavery in the middle east( or is it west?) History is great and all, but what is it doing on the internet? The internet is today's generation's playground, so historical, boring sites are not going to be in demand. If you have great feelings on the amistad, put it in a book.

whats up dogz?soo i like this site a lot.you should pay more attion to this site.well g/g

this site rocks dogz.look if i was the manerger of this site i whould be very happy to own this.i learned a lot from this.

it was really sad

I liked the site, it contained all the information I needed for a school project.I am still researching now.

I liked the site, it contained all the information I needed for a school project.I am still researching now.

why bother even having slaves when you can do as much as like by asking help from somone

HELP!!! need info on plantation life of a male slave,, dates 1810-1860,
any info will be usefull,

Amistad is a cool movie man

I think that any type of slavery, on any race is just sick and wrong. I wish that none of the horrible things like Amistad and the Middle Passage ever had to happen. I don't understand why people discriminate against others because of the color of their skin. I think it's good that they made the movie Amistad. It lets people who didn't know about everything that happened see all the pain they had to go through. Maybe that will help to get more people to fight against racial discrimination. I'm grateful that things aren't like they used to be, but I think they could still get a lot better.

I thought the movie Amistad was very powerful and insightful. It was very interesting to get a real look at how the slaves were treated and what really went on during the trial. I was suprised by the decision the judge made in the end. It was more interesting to learn about this as you see what is going on as well. The attorney, Baldwin, made a significant impression n me. The way he was willing to take on the case, when there semed to be no hope. It took a lot of courage to defend a group of blacks, epecially in the time when slavery was a important par of peoples lives.

I believe the movie Amistad by Steven Spielburg was very realistic and knowledgeable. He used history to make one of the best movies about slavery and the Middle Passage ever.
I would have to say the followiwng are my favorite people from the movie.
Cinque - Cinque was a very brave and noble man. He was not afraid to do what was needed and was willing to die for his people in order for them to live.
During the trials he would watch the fate of his people being decided right in front of his eyes and could not understand what was going on to make the decision. During the trial of the Supreme Court Cinque stood in fron of all those people, some for and some against him and his people, and tell his entire story. He understood what it meant if they were to lose the case.
John Quincy Adams - This fromer president could negotiate practically anything to his advantage. This man stood before the Supreme Court pleading for the lives of African-Americans, slaves back then, knowing that even though over half the judges owned slaves themselves, they would have to judge fairly. Most back then would scorn and jeer at this man, but we today know him as a great man who truly believed "All men are created equal."
The Young Lawyer - This man stood by the African-Americansside through this entire thing. It didn't matter what his peers and fellow townsmae said or what the African-Americans did he was always there. He may have been young and slightly inexperirenced, but he did an excellent job at presenting his case.
Spielburg did a one-of-a-kind job at portraying Cinque and the voyage of the La Amistad. The cast was exceptional. The whole movie was very real. I hope it gives anyonewho is prejudice against any race or culture a yank into reality. No person deserves to be treated the way slaves were.
When Americans believe they've git a brutal history they should about Cinque and his people. They were a race able to withstand ourbrutality and they deserve our respect.

Chris Shockley
History
Thoughts on Amistad
4-3-99

I thought that this movie did a good job of portraying the characters in the story, and showing how slaves were treated by most white people and even by some of there own people. The thing that really took me by surprise is how brutally the slaves were treated aboard the ships, I new that they weren’t in the lap of luxury, but they were housed fed and kept like animals or even worse.
I was especially taken with the courageousness and the never ending ambition of the attorney to pursue this case, because if you think about it, it took a lot of guts to do what he did (stand up for African Americans) in the time period that he was in.
He never stopped trying even when he was almost sure that there was no hope of seeing victory. After they had won the case and the Africans Thought that they were free, and they decided to retry the case with a hand picked judge and no jury, I thought that it showed good character for him to stay with the case.
The other character that I was quite impresses with was the part of Cin’qe the African who helped his people seek out freedom even though there were times when he didn’t understand what was going on of was frustrated with the ways of the U.S. government.
I understand now a lot more than I did before about the struggles Africans went through to be free from slavery. This was a great movie and I recommend it to anyone.

I felt that Amistad was a good movie that accuratly told the tale of the onb sea mutiny and the miniputative use if the government in the early 1800's. I think that Steven Speleberg helped do for Americas early history is compareable to the work he did for the Holocaust in Shindlers List.
I think that the most important character in this movie was Cinque. His character was able to clearly discribe the trynary that minorities experinced in that era. His character was able to show even the mental scars that were left behind in this trial.

I thought that this was a really good movie. It was incredibly real and true - to - life. I never had any idea that African Americans had to go through this much. They've clearly come a long way since then. It was nice to see in the movie that there were at least some white people that weren't racist. I particularly admire the lawyer for Cinque and the others. He was very brave to step out over the line and take their side. He never stopped fighting amidst all the death threats and mocking directed towards him. Some African Americans today are racist towards white people. It is my impression that they blame us for the way in which our ancestors treated them. In a way I can understand that, but it also angers me a bit because if they didn't like being treated in a racist way, they shouldn't discriminate against us. Personally, I don't see any reason why we all can''t just get along. But anyway, i felt that this was a very good movie and a touching story.

In our history class we watched the movie "Amistad". I learned a lot of things from the movie. I had no idea that they were treated so badly. I think that John Quincy Adams, along with the other young lawyer, did a very good job at defending the Africans. I feel that what happened was wrong and I'm glad that they were allowed to go back to their home in Africa.

I THINK THAT IF YOU WANT TO LEARN ABOUT AMISTAD THEN YOU NEED TO REED IT FOR YOURSELVES OR GET THE MOVIE. YOU CAN'T ALWAYS RELY ON WHAT OTHER PEOPLE TELL YOU.

HELLO,
I AM IN THE TENTH GRADE AND FOR OUR SOCIAL STUDIES WE WATCHED THE MOVIE AMISTAD AND NOW WE HAVE TO WRITE A REPORT SO I WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE HAS INFORMATION ON THE AMISTASD OR ON CINQUE IF YOU COULD PLEASE EMAIL IT TO ME AT shyshy47@hotmail.com IT WOULD BE GRATELY APPRECIATED

ALOHA AND MAHALO,
HOKU KAUAKAHI

Hello i love this informative site, Im a professional actor and was a supreme court reporter in Amistad... i an so glad the seaport is buiging a replica of this beautiful ship!!!.you can view a pix of me in the scene w Anthony Hopkins at interactdesighns.com/john tobin.index.html

If you really want to see the true story of the amistad i advise you to go to the Old State House in Hartford Conn. and see their reenactment of the 1st trial of the amistad that took place there in 1839. It takes place on tuesday's at 12:15 and their is no charge. The performance is full of emotion, truth, and takes place in the actual room so one gets a feeling for what it was like for the captives of the amistad. Call Patrick Smith at 860-522-6766 for more info.

I believe Cinque gave slavery emotion. Our ancestors are so often shown as animals who mumble and grunt in movies. Every African American who had the opportunity to view this movie should have experienced the connection to an Africa many of us have been taught to be ashamed of.Unconsciously we buy into the mental separation from our ancestors. I'm very happy this website is available.

I thought it was a great movie

I've watched the movie and I've extreme research for a speech I am doing for school. Although some aspects are different in the movie than what did happen they are very small and faint differences. I was outraged by the way these people where treated and I'm very glad to have learned about this. But America isn't in that stage in it's life history any more. And further more we as Americans did not do this injustice to the Africans on "La Amistad". We helped them to be free again.

I watched the movie during an upper level history class and boy, it drove some points home. As a history major, I have written several papers about the American slave trade - material on the topic is, after all, easy to find. However, it is easy to write disspassionatly about names and dates from books - it is something else to witness these events, even fictionally. This is, I think, the true value of the movie - American slavery has become a mythology in many forms, but the movie, which seems well-researched, not only strikes against the mythologies but debunks the basis upon which they stand. I guess I want to say that the moviw brought this era of American history closer to home for me, and made it a living event which affected my way of thinking about the past, rather than a "scientific" or "economic" occurrence to be picked apart and debated without emotion. Thank you.

I think that the movie armistad was really good, but the problem is why would people get the pleasure of torturing innocent people.What's more, owning a person is wrong, imagine being taken away from your family and friends and home what would you do? My point exactly, I would fight for my rights, If you haven't watched the movie, watch it and you'll get a little bit of information that will shock you.
Thank You,
Stephani

The Amistad was a great movie, but what happened in real life was horrible.
I was positively shocked to see the absolute cruelty presented by people back then.
I just can't even begin to imagine how people can treat other people that way, and I CERTAINLY can't see how people could get pleasure from it.
Thank You,
Kristina

I have just finished viewing the movie, "Amistad", and could not believe what happened.
This story is so, intense, almost idescribably sickening, that I cried throughout many parts, and my friend and I would turn around and look at each other almost every 10 minutes or so.
The Amistad was an illegal slave ship comming from Africa to Cuba so that the slaves would seem as though they were legal, because if they came from Cuba, they could be permitted in to our country.
I could not believe at how incredibaly....gruesome.....these slaves, and so many others were treated. A country of equal rights, and a country where every one is equal....did I miss something??

Hello. My name is imouse1 and i feel really bad about everything that happened during the triangular trade and slavery. It was a great deal like Schindler's list. That is all I have to say for now. Bye Bye

Don't forget to e-mail nice letters. imouse1

i think that the amistad was a horrible ship and i also beleave that they made a cry for help which touched the world. why where they sent back to africa more than likly to be put as slaves agin

Hi!! My school -Metropolitan Learning Center is doing a piece on the Amistad. We're doing projects,plays, and many other things. This is fun!!
we have learned about Cinque and the other captives and the court stories and we're reading the book and watching the movie!! That's all for now!!
Bye

Hi i am a 6th grade student of the Metropolitan LearningCenter and i and my other fellow classmates are working on a Amistad project and me and my partner are working on making a news paper for the Amistad. I was just giving you an idea of what my school is working on.

Steven Speilberg had an agenda in the filming of the "Amistad" and it was obviously not to portray the facts surrounding the Amistad incident. In this case, he took too much liberty with his poetic licence. One of the more recent commentaries in this site thanks Speilberg for exposing historical truths and something about "we have been lied to long enough". Let's not place Speilberg in the class of respectable historians. He was not trained in the art of history and exposes this weakness more than once in "Amistad".
Speilberg is a Hollywood director aimed at grabbing the attention of the American masses. In order to do this he glorifies the truth. Apart from some of the historical inaccuracies, the filmography (filming the Africans from the ground in order to display their stature, dignity, and nobility), and especially the music which exerts a jingoistic, emotion driven crying fit which obviously many impressionable young children went through after viewing this movie.
Music instigating one's emotions shouldn't be banned from movies, but when the emotions become strong enough to mask the real facts, the producer has exceeded his bounds of manipulating the viewer or the viewer is too impressionable to watch films dealing with historical events.
Couldn't a movie that has stayed truer to historical truth have been just as monumental? I believe slavery was brutal enough not to have been overly-exagerrated as Speilberg has done with the Amistad incident.
I weep for those who have not risen above a hightschool freshman's faith in movies to provide our history and hope that someone close to them, out of cyberspace, will tell them the difference between Speilberg history and history.

I am a student teacher at a middle school here, I am teaching 8th grade bilingual students about the Civil War but felt compelled to have them watch Amistad in order for them to understand the gravity of slavery in our history. This is a very emotional event in our past and feel that it is necessary to teach the truth, the fabric of our nation has been pieced together with too many lies and deceptions of many groups of people, my students are representatives of one of these groups, and at their young age should be taught the truth about our world and nations history!

I am a homeschooling mother of two boys, ages 14 and 17. We watched the movie tonight as a part of our studies for Black History month.

I have read books, lived through the sixties and never before have I been so emotionally changed. The only way that I can describe my reaction to the movie is to say that I felt rage.

In the past I have felt sypathy, even empathy for African Americans. Never before have I understood their anger as I do tonight. My boys looked at me tonight and asked, "how could men treat other human beings that way"? "What was wrong with them, were they sick"?

Thoughtout our studies of Black History the question of religion keeps coming up. "Mom, how could intellegent men use the Christian religion, even the Bible, to defend slavery"? Tough questions and all I have is lame answers.

I am greatful to the folks who put this site together. I found it because I wanted to learn more, and so I have. This is a story that must be told, memorialized and retold for all generations to come. We must not forget the Amistad!

Joan Black

I am in a history class at a liberal arts college in Wisconsin. We were required to watch some of this movie in class and some on our own and I think that it really hit some of the students here. I am not an African American, nor do I think I have any ancestory which is, but this movie had a drastic affect on the way that I look at other cultures and even the world as a whole. We are all the same. No one is any different than anyone else, and I think that if some of the people would take time to learn some of these valued things our world would be a much better place to live in.
For all of those people who are ancestors of the men, women, and children on this ship 'La Amistad' I would like to say two things. One, keep searching, all of the information is at your finger tips, it just may take some time. Also that I am really greatful to the people on Amistad for making America a free and better place to live for all of society.

Reading for first time The Amistad was a unforgetable experience. I recommend this story not just to african-americans, but to anybody who wants to learn more about the history of slavery

I have looked very hard for answers to what happenned to the Africans after they returned home. There only seems to be information On Sengbe and even that information is unsubstantial. Can anybody advise me of where to do my research or share with me what they have learned?

Thanks, Cynthia

Myself as well as several of my fellow classmates are studying The Amistad travisty. We have become very intrigued by these recent messages we have read. Few of us have seen the movie, but after reading your reviews on this motion picture, we have decided that seeing this movie would aid in our conquest of better understanding of the Amistad, and what "really" went down. We find it truly interesting that so many of you are able to trace your family line all the way back to Africa, and the Amistad. Which brings me to the unthinkable reality of where our society has gone wrong. We are gathered here on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to remember all of diverse peoples who have changed this country to the diverse melting pot it is today. By better understanding the Amistad and where our ancestors have erred, we can begin to indulge in a rich comprehension of the life which we will enjoy in ecstasy in the near future. Thank you for sharing your comments with us, your insight has allowed us to dive into the slowy calming racial whirl pool that is so prevelant in today's society. Thank you once again for sharing that piece of your life with us. Thank you.

This web site really opened up my eyes to the truth of this story. I was wondering if they ever found the wreck of Amistad, and where is it. Thank you for such a wonderful site!!

I have not seen the movie but I have just finished the book. I have a few comments that I would like to bounce off everyone just to get a few different ideas back. The first is are there any accounts of what happenned to any of the Africans after they left America? The second is, in the book Sengbe is constantly refferred to as Cinque. Isn't Cinque the name that was imposed on him by the slave traders? Please correct me if I am wrong, if I am not wrong then how do you feel about him being remembered by his slave name and not his African name? Does it take away from Sengbe or his African heritage in anyway? Does it take away from the beauty and pride of Africa when what is imposed is adopted? Did Sengbe adopt this name? My name is the name of the slave owner and quite often I have been confused over what to do about this. But I have no idea what the name is my ancestors is or even where they come from. I guess that many of us suffer the same. Although it is not a problem that is constantly in my mind, I would somehow love to find out who my ancestors were and what they were like. I guess this is all for now but I really love to hear ideas and comments from you all!

Thanks, Cindy

I just finished watching the movie, "AMISTAD". What a excellent picture,
but more than it simply being a picture it was about the truth of slavery.
The hideousness of slavery all in the name of "money".

My people were beaten, raped and killed all for money. But its refreshing
to know that injustice can only be allowed to exist for a season. Eventually, the truth brings about freedom, as in the case of "La Amistad"
and the trial that ensued.

Something else I would like to address in this post is that I feel more and more that because of our being conditioned to do as the slave masters wanted and to forget about Africa and all it represents, caused us to lose
touch with our heritage.

Hence, I believe the reason for many of our people feelings of being lost, misguided, not caring...(hence Derrick's remark in one of the posts on this page). I know Derrick cares, but it hurts him just as it hurts any
African-American to see our people treated in that manner.

What I really want is to learn about the language that the Mende spoke.
To the lady who is an ancestor of one of the slaves, (Julie Lamin of N Kingstown Rhode Island), I hope you read this post and consider writing
me at my email address. I want to know the language and practice learning it as well. Maybe you can point me in the direction needed to acquire the resources to learn the language.

If anyone else knows please feel free to let me know.

I feel that more and more I want to be connected to my country, which is
Africa originally. I believe that African-Americans should all learn a language from the continent of Africa. It would be a good idea to allow it to be taught to our children either at home or at school.

These are all my concerns. I am glad to have seen a magnificent movie in my lifetime of Africans (Blacks) actually winning finally. According to
many movies etc the first people to die are always Blacks. So, it is refreshing to see the people victorious in the end.

I am quite shocked and disappointed to see only a few responses to this website. I am the mother of Jamienata and Safieyatu who are the great- grandchildren of one of the freed slaves. This is an important part of history for my children to learn, for without the brave struggle of these courageous men and women, I would not be blessed with the two angels I wake up with every morning. To me, Cinque and the freed men and women of the Amistad hold the same respect and absolute admiration in my heart as such
great men & women in history as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Theresa, and all others who fought for the sake of humanity at their own
personal sacrifice. The type of injustice that occured during the time of
the Amistad is nothing new in history. The movie Amistad was, in my opinion, the most outstanding movie I've seen in many years. These stories must be placed out on the table so that we may be aware of how
an injustice can occur and what we can do to combat such injustice as
it may begin. To push it on a back burner and pretend like it never happened would be ignorant as well as disrespectful to the people who
actually lived it. To grandfather Foday Lamin, we love and respect you.
May you be with GOD in his everloving arms. We pray for your peace
and carry your name.

Julie, Jamienata & Safieyatu Lamin

I am writing for two little friends of mine Jaminata Gemba Lamin and Safiatu Adama Lamin. Jami is 31/2 years and Safi is 1 1/2 years old. We, along with their mother Julie had ventured to Mystic Saturday December 12th, 98 to see the Slave Ship Amistad of their Great Grand Father and his brother. Both who had been stolen from Sierra Leone, West Africa and returned some years later. The girls are 1st generation Sierra Leonians. They are searching for information about their Grandfather. Were any of the slaves listed by last name? Their father Andrew had grown up in Sierra Leone hearing the story of the Amistad and his Grandfather's plight and return. Please help. Is there any record of slaves last names so we can be sure.

Thank you

Sharon Koliscz
401-277-5261
Who speaks for Jami and Safi

The Film Amistad has become of one my top ten favorites of all times. I am very happy that a motion picture film was done about this story. I have lived in Mystic, Connecticut on and off for the past 10 years and because of this movie I, now know about the (Amistad) incident. Till not that long ago I have never heard about this sad but true story and if it wasn't for the picture I am sure that maybe I would have never heard about it. For one person that wrote a comment here and said that he was upset about this movie getting done and saying that he was unhappy with what was done in the film or just the topic of it, all I have to say is that because of this, people that have never heard of the (Amistad) incident NOW KNOW!

My advice to you Sir is the study your (Roots)

Thanks
G.A.

I did not like seeing my ancestors being beat, whiped I hated this dumb a-- movie. I would have had to flip out if they thought that I was a slave, because I am a black man from the south.

The story of Amistad reminds me of a personal struggle I recently went through. My experince was not a struggle with a slave trader, but a situation with a foster brother. Cinque and I went through sortof the same struggle. He rebelled against cruel treatment from slave traders, while I fought against getting beat up by my foster brother. I think that what Cinque did was a prime example of what a man will do to get and mantain his freedom and his loved ones.

I feel no different than most other ordinary human beings that know the story of the Amistad, it was moving to hear of the slaves courage, how they must have felt to be treated the way they were and only to face so many more hurdles when they broke free from the slave traders. I think that the story is an important one and should be told to people so that they can learn what hatred can bring. Most countries have a past of mistreating their native people terribly, including Australia, however I feel that the most important thing be that we try and take the positive from the mistakes we made so that we will never make the same mistakes again. I was raised to respect all cultures and treat others how they treat you. Respect equals respect. However it is a fact that even in Australia which I consider one of the most tolerant nations in the world, there are still those people that fear what is different from themselves, why? I don't surely know. Watching the film inspired me to investigate the story further and get all the actual facts and here I am saying my peace. I only wish that people would get to know each other before making their mind up about a certain race or religion etc. It is a truly stupid individual that thinks he knows someone by just looking at them.

I thankyou for this site. My first exposure to the events of the Amistad incident were from Steven Spielberg's film, and with no insult to Mr. Spielberg, it is a sad commentary that most people had no prior knowledge of this remarkable event in human history. The story haunted me for months after I had seen the film. Some four hundred years of African enslavement is (in my opinion) the greatest human tragedy in history, and all in the name of commerce. Again, I thankyou for this site, because I feel that I needed to come here and add my thoughts.

It will always be difficult for me to understand how one "version" of a being (humans) can deem itself superior to another based on things so unimportant as skin color and the shape of your head, or your overall appearance. It is an even sadder testimony to look around and realize how this ignorant, uneducated, self-righteous attitude has spread to virtually all races and beliefs toward all others in one form, and to one degree, or another. To conceive of a debate over humans as to whether they are deemed "merchandise" or "free people", the result of which decides whether or not they have the right to fight for their freedom is difficult to comprehend. But to realize that it was a reality is unconscionable.

To try and imagine the indignities and suffering that was endured by people held as slaves is impossible. The only way we, as a civilization, will ever advance to any impressive level of development will be together, and drawing on what everyone has to offer. There is no room in this world for the narrow minded thinking that can and did lead to, and support, slavery.

God will reward those that endured. And he will also punish those that enslaved others, for their crimes against humanity. Imagine the looks on the faces of those that endorsed slavery when God appears to them as a black man, imagine what they will think when they learn that ALL men where created in his image. And imagine what they will feel when they are punished for their crimes against his children. "Vengeance is mine!" sayeth the lord. And his it shall be.

To me personally the story of the historical accounts of the Amistad had a great impact on me when I first read a book on this great event. It was five or so years ago when I picked up a nice childern's at a yard sale about a historic event that I never knew happened.

As I read the Amistad story, I found Cinque very interesting but Ka-le made a big impact on my young life since he was as young or younger than I was when he was taken as a slave. Reading the story of Ka-le made this young woman realize how cruel and unhuman the slave traders where.

For those with childern, you might want to pick up "The Long Black Schooner" (also later titled "The Slave Ship") by Emma Gelders Sterne for your childern because it explains Ka-le story to them very effectively and in a way understood by childern. Parents this is a story to read and reread with your kids about the Amistad.

The novel, Amistad, portrays the character Sengbe as strong and chief-like. The story shows him as being a leader of the tribe and looked upon with great respect. Sengbe, in the novel was more like a quiet main character. He did not show much of his aggression as he did in the movie.
In the Steven Speilberg film, he made Sengbe look like an out of control animal. In the movie it was apparent that he did not like to be pushed and told what to do. He talked loudly and argued with many of the enslavers. Although the movie Amistad showed the physical struggle of the Africans, the book gave much more detail than any