The United
States Supreme Court affirmed the ruling to return the Africans who had been on
the Amistad to their home land on March 9th 1841.
The United
States v. Libellants and Claimant of the Schooner Amistad was an important suit
regarding freedom and slavery. The
schooner the Amistad was somewhere along the coast of Cuba carrying a cargo of
Africans from Sierra Leone who had been sold into slavery. The Africans escaped their bonds and took
over the ship on July 1st 1839, killing the ship’s captain and cook. The Africans then made the remaining crew
return them to Africa, but the crew instead sailed north during the night. The Amistad was taken into custody on August
24th 1839 by the United States Revenue Cutter Service ship the USS
Washington near Long Island, New York.
The court
cases which followed through to the Supreme Court help fuel the abolitionist
movement. The Federal District Court found in 1840 that the Africans had been
transported in violation of laws and treaties.
It was ruled that the Africans were free men and had a right to fight
and escape from their illegal confinement.
Under sectional and international pressure United States President
Martin Van Buren had this ruling appealed to the United States Supreme Court.
The Supreme
Court affirmed the lower court’s ruling on March 9th 1841, and ruled
the Africans from the Amistad should be returned to their homeland. Supporters of the Africans found them housing
in Farmington, Connecticut and raised funds for the African and some
missionaries to travel back to Africa.
If you are
interested in reading more on this topic, check Amistad: The Federal Courts and the Challenge to Slavery
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