---
title: Amistad Seizure: The Court Case that Captivated the World
author: Joshua J. Mark
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/Amistad_Seizure/
format: machine-readable-alternate
license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
updated: 2025-08-15
---

# Amistad Seizure: The Court Case that Captivated the World

_Authored by [Joshua J. Mark](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/JPryst/)_

The Amistad Seizure (also known as the Amistad Incident, the Amistad Rebellion, the Amistad Mutiny, and Amistad Revolt) was a conflict aboard the Spanish schooner *La Amistad* in July 1839, off the coast of Cuba, during which free Blacks, who had been illegally kidnapped from [Africa](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/africa/) to be sold as slaves, took over the ship, killed crew members, and demanded return to their home in Mendeland (modern-day Sierra Leone, West Africa). Instead, the ship's owners secretly steered them toward the United States, where the ship was seized and the resulting court case – *United States v. The Amistad (1841)* – became the most famous of its time.

The ship (whose name means "friendship") and its human cargo were claimed by Spain (as it was a Spanish ship), by the Cuban owners, and by Lt. Thomas R. Gedney of the brig *Washington,* who had brought *La Amistad* into port at New London, Connecticut, and so sought salvage rights. To determine which of these claims was valid, the court first had to establish the status of the 49 African adults and 3 children found on board – whether they were slaves or free – and this was extremely difficult as all of them only spoke their native tongues.

The administration of President [Martin van Buren](https://www.worldhistory.org/Martin_Van_Buren/) was eager to resolve the case quickly and extradite the Africans to Cuba, but the abolitionists of Connecticut, led by the lawyer Lewis Tappan raised funds for their legal defense, found an interpreter, and, after the case was finally heard by the US Supreme Court, where the Africans were defended by former president and lawyer [John Quincy Adams](https://www.worldhistory.org/John_Quincy_Adams/), they were freed and eventually returned home.

The case received international attention as it focused on the issue of slavery, what defined a "slave", and whether enslaved people had the right to armed revolt in securing their freedom. It also brought to light discrepancies between established laws regarding the slave [trade](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/trade/) and how those were skirted by various parties. The [media](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/media/) covered the case extensively right from the start, and these stories were eventually heard by the slave Madison Washington, inspiring his leadership of the [Creole Mutiny](https://www.worldhistory.org/Creole_Mutiny/)/Creole Rebellion of 1841.

The decision of *United States v. The Amistad (1841)* also generated widespread support for the abolitionist movement in the North, enraged pro-slavery factions in the South, and further escalated conflict between the two in the years leading up to the [American Civil War](https://www.worldhistory.org/American_Civil_War/).

### The Amistad Seizure

The people who eventually wound up at the center of the Amistad case were kidnapped from their various villages in the modern-day Sierra Leone region of West Africa at some point in February 1839. They were sold to Portuguese slave traders who loaded them onto the slave ship *Tecora* and took them to Cuba.

[England](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/england/) and the United States had abolished the international slave trade by this time, and Spain, allied to England, had, too, but refused to outlaw slavery in its colonies and allowed for the transfer, by ship or any other means, of slaves between different points. Slave traders could get around the laws prohibiting the international slave trade by filling their ships' holds with kidnapped people on the coast of Africa, sailing to a port like Havana, Cuba, and then claiming the "slaves" on board had been born in Cuba and were only being transported from one place to another.

[ ![Havana Harbor Entrance, 1841](https://www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/750x750/20810.jpeg?v=1755017763-1755248823) Havana Harbor Entrance, 1841 Bibliographisches Institut for Meyer's Universum (Public Domain) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/20810/havana-harbor-entrance-1841/ "Havana Harbor Entrance, 1841")The men, [women](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/women/), and children were unloaded from the *Tecora* and sold at a market in Havana. 53 of them were purchased by Jose Ruiz and Pedro Montes, who planned to sell them in Puerto Principe, Cuba. *La Amistad*, captained by its owner Ramon Ferrer, was hired for transport and left Havana on 28 June 1839 for Puerto Principe, a journey that should have taken only four days.

*La Amistad* was not a slave ship, but a domestic cargo schooner 120 feet (37 m) long with a small hold. As it could not accommodate the 53 Africans below deck, many were kept above and, although all were restrained by shackles, could move about freely, and, as was later revealed, learn about the ship and who among the crew could steer it.

On the night of 1 July 1839, one of the men below deck, Sengbe Pieh (better known as Joseph Cinque, circa 1814 to circa 1879) found a rusty file (or was given it by a fellow prisoner), broke his padlock, freed himself, and then freed the others. Early in the morning of 2 July, they came up on deck to take control of the ship, as described by scholar Marcus Rediker:

> A group of four men – Cinque, Faquorna, Moru, and Kimbo – led the way as they climbed up and out of the hatchway onto the main deck. They moved with the grace and precision of warriors accustomed to daring midnight attacks. They picked up belaying pins and barrel staves and stole over to the ship's boat where the mulatto cook and slave sailor Celestino lay sleeping. They bludgeoned him to [death](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Death/). As more men escaped their irons and swarmed up on deck, they opened a box of cane knives, tools they were meant to use in cutting sugar cane, but which would now serve the purpose of self-emancipation.
> (1)

Two Africans were killed in taking the ship, Captain Ferrer was killed, and two deckhands escaped in a small boat. The Africans spared Ruiz, Montes, and Ferrer's slave, Antonio, because they had observed that these three could navigate the ship and return them to their home. Ruiz and Montes agreed to take them back but then secretly steered them north toward the United States, where, they hoped, the ship would be seized by authorities and their 'property' returned to them.

### Arrest, Prison & Claims

*La Amistad* had only been provisioned with supplies for the short trip between Havana and Puerto Principe and so was forced to stop at islands for fresh water (though where these islands were is unclear). Over six weeks later, on 26 August, the ship was found off Long Island, New York, by the USRC (United States Revenue-Marine) brig *Washington*, which was engaged in surveying. The captain of the *Washington*, Lt. Thomas R. Gedney, took *La Amistad* and towed it to the port of New London, Connecticut, where the Africans were placed into the custody of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut.

According to the testimony of Ruiz and Montes, the Africans were slaves who had taken the ship and murdered the crew, and so all 53 were remanded to prison. The Ruiz/Montes version of the story gained momentum quickly, and the imprisoned Africans became media celebrities, as described by Rediker:

> A mere six days after the vessel had been towed into port, a drama troupe at New York's Bowery [Theatre](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/theatre/) performed a play about its story of mutiny and [piracy](https://www.worldhistory.org/Piracy/). Commercial artists converged on the jail where the *Amistad* Africans were incarcerated, drew images of Cinque, the leader of the rebellion, reproduced them quickly and cheaply, and had them hawked by boys on the streets of eastern [cities](https://www.worldhistory.org/city/)…Meantime, thousands of people lined up daily to pay admission and walk through the jails of New Haven and Hartford to get a glimpse of the *Amistad* rebels, who were "political prisoners" before that phrase had been invented.
> (3)

Following the Ruiz/Montes narrative, this seemed to be a murder case, but Lt. Gedney filed suit claiming salvage rights since he had found the ship while, at the same time, the captains of other boats – which had either seen or approached *La Amistad* before Gedney – made similar claims. The Spanish government demanded the return of the ship and its 'cargo' as *La Amistad* was a Spanish ship with a Spanish crew, and then there were Ruiz and Montes and their claim to the 53 Africans they insisted were legally purchased slaves. These claims turned a murder case into one concerning property rights: to whom did the 53 Africans belong? If, in fact, they belonged to anyone.

The abolitionists of Connecticut saw an opportunity here to help the Africans and also, potentially, garner greater support for their cause, and so Lewis Tappan, Simeon Jocelyn, and Joshua Leavitt formed the Amistad Committee to raise funds for the legal defense of the Mende. Roger Sherman Baldwin signed on as their attorney.

[ ![Abolitionist Lewis Tappan, founder of the Amistad Committee](https://www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/500x600/20809.jpeg?v=1755017262-1755248499) Abolitionist Lewis Tappan, founder of the Amistad Committee Unknown Photographer (Public Domain) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/20809/abolitionist-lewis-tappan-founder-of-the-amistad-c/ "Abolitionist Lewis Tappan, founder of the Amistad Committee")Before they could go to court, however, Baldwin needed to know what had happened aboard *La Amistad* and what the Africans had to say about their status as free or slave. The abolitionists enlisted the help of the linguist Professor J.W. Gibbs, also devoted to the abolitionist cause, who visited the Africans in prison and, using a handful of coins, had them count out loud to ten. He determined the language most of them spoke was Mende, and then went to the docks of New London and New Haven, Connecticut, and New York [City](https://www.worldhistory.org/city/), counting to ten out loud in Mende. Two sailors, James Covey and Charles Pratt, recognized the language, and so Gibbs had found his interpreters. Covey, a former slave, would serve as interpreter throughout all the following proceedings.

### Trial & Conflict

Once Baldwin could communicate with the Africans, Joseph Cinque became the main speaker for the group and explained how they had come to be on board *La Amistad*. Baldwin then filed charges of kidnapping, assault, and false imprisonment against Ruiz and Montes, who were arrested and held until they posted bail and fled to Cuba. The charges against two White businessmen brought on account of Black prisoners outraged the pro-slavery faction in the US as well as in Spain.

[ ![Portrait of Sengbe Pieh (Joseph Cinque)](https://www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/500x600/20805.jpeg?v=1755247540-1755247599) Portrait of Sengbe Pieh (Joseph Cinque) Nathaniel Jocelyn (Public Domain) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/20805/portrait-of-sengbe-pieh-joseph-cinque/ "Portrait of Sengbe Pieh (Joseph Cinque)")US statesman and pro-slavery advocate [John C. Calhoun](https://www.worldhistory.org/John_C._Calhoun/), as well as the Spanish ambassador, pressed the Van Buren administration to process the case quickly and return the 53 Africans and the ship to Spain, citing stipulations in treaties between the US and Spain and that the Africans were clearly slaves guilty of insurrection. The Van Buren administration could do nothing outright, however, since the executive branch could not interfere with the judicial.

This did not stop Martin Van Buren from trying, however, and he ordered a ship sent to Connecticut to load the prisoners and carry them to Cuba for trial and punishment. Van Buren worried he would lose the Southern vote in his bid for re-election if the *Amistad* rebels were freed, and so he needed to prevent that. Before that plan could be fully enacted, though, the case was heard before the US District Court for the District of Connecticut. Baldwin argued that no one was entitled to claim the 53 Mende as property because they had never been slaves but were free and had been illegally kidnapped. The documents found aboard *La Amistad,* which were presented as proof that the 53 had all been born slaves in Cuba, were identified as forgeries.

District Court Judge Andrew T. Judson ruled in favor of the Africans in January 1840 and ordered they be returned to Mendeland at the expense of the US government. All claims on the captives were dismissed, but Lt. Gedney was allowed one-third of whatever cargo was left on *La Amistad* as salvage rights.

The US Attorney for the District of Connecticut, acting on orders from Van Buren, appealed the case to the US Circuit Court, which upheld the lower court's decision. The US Attorney's Office then appealed the case again, this time to the US Supreme Court.

### Supreme Court & John Quincy Adams

Baldwin and Tappan called upon the legal expertise of former president and attorney John Quincy Adams, who was then the US Representative from Massachusetts. Adams had been approached before in the case, as he was a known abolitionist, but had declined, citing his age and how long it had been since he had practiced [law](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/law/). When asked this time, however, he agreed to help.

In appearing before the Supreme Court in February 1841, Baldwin made the opening remarks, citing how the lower courts had already determined the Africans were free and that the Spanish government had no claim on them.

[ ![Roger Sherman Baldwin, Lawyer for the Amistad Rebels](https://www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/500x600/20808.jpeg?v=1755016967-1755248338) Roger Sherman Baldwin, Lawyer for the Amistad Rebels Rufus Wright (CC BY-NC-SA) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/20808/roger-sherman-baldwin-lawyer-for-the-amistad-rebel/ "Roger Sherman Baldwin, Lawyer for the Amistad Rebels")Adams then addressed the court, citing legal precedent and dismissing the claims of Spain and the Van Buren Administration by citing legal precedent and the specifics of the treaties both Spain and Van Buren kept insisting must be honored by sending the Africans back to Cuba as prisoners. Adams' speech included a direct rebuke of the Van Buren Administration for interfering in a judicial matter for its own selfish ends and appealed to the concepts embodied in the [Declaration of Independence](https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2411/declaration-of-independence/) in arguing that Joseph Cinque and the others had only done what anyone had a right to do in securing for themselves life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

On 9 March 1841, *United States v. The Amistad (1841)* was decided in favor of the Africans. Associate Justice Joseph Story read the court's decision, which completely upheld those of the lower courts. The Africans were ordered to be set free, but no provision was made for their return home.

### Farmington & Return

By this time, some of the Africans had died in prison, and only 36 remained. The abolitionists took these to the town of Farmington, Connecticut – a well-known stop on the [Underground Railroad](https://www.worldhistory.org/Underground_Railroad/) and considered a major 'depot' for fugitive slaves heading north – where they were taken in by families or quartered in barracks. The Africans learned English while teaching the Americans their language and also showed the Farmington residents how to better cultivate rice and harvest healthier crops. The Africans were also tutored in [Christianity](https://www.worldhistory.org/christianity/), and as the missionaries learned more of their language, it was discovered that they were not of a single tribe or village but were members of at least seven different tribes and diverse locations.

The Amistad Committee, having raised the funds that paid for their legal expenses, had now switched focus to raising money to send them back home. This now seemed quite difficult since the Africans were not, as previously thought, of one tribe in one location, and, if they were simply returned to Mendeland without properly identifying either tribe or village, they could be re-enslaved and wind up back in Cuba on a sugar plantation.

[ ![The Freedom Schooner Amistad, 2010](https://www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/750x750/20807.jpeg?v=1755016594-1755248010) The Freedom Schooner Amistad, 2010 Rhvanwinkle (CC BY) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/20807/the-freedom-schooner-amistad-2010/ "The Freedom Schooner Amistad, 2010")It was therefore decided that the Amistad Committee would fund a mission to Sierra Leone, under British protection, that would provide a safe haven for returning ex-slaves until they could be reunited with their families. By the time the funds were raised and a ship procured, only 35 of the original 53 Africans remained, and these, along with James Covey as interpreter and the missionaries, landed in Sierra Leone in early 1842.

### Conclusion

The story of the seizure of *La Amistad* held the attention of the world between August 1839 and March 1841 and, afterwards, became a point of pride for the abolitionists and a sore spot for pro-slavery factions. In time, however, this would change, as noted by Rediker:

> The fascination would not last. After the Civil [War](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/War/), the memory of the *Amistad* waned, barely kept alive by two related groups: abolitionists and African American writers and artists who wanted to glory in victory and remember the long, arduous struggle against slavery. In the dark times of Social Darwinism and scientific racism, the *Amistad* uprising faded from public view. It disappeared from histories of the United States written in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and, indeed, it saw no major revival until new social movements exploded in the 1960's and 1970's. Especially important in this regard were the civil rights and black power movements with their demands for a new history of the United States that took seriously the long, bloody [battle](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/battle/) against slavery and racism.
> (4)

As Rediker also notes, the Amistad Seizure and resulting court case received wider attention after the release of the major motion picture *Amistad* in 1997, directed by Stephen Spielberg and starring Djimon Hounsou as Joseph Cinque. The Spielberg film generated new interest in the story of *La Amistad* and inspired the creation of the *Freedom Schooner Amistad* in 2000, a modern-day replica of *La Amistad* operated by the non-profit educational organization Amistad America, Inc. The modern ship serves to educate the public on the history of slavery in the United States and keeps alive the story of the 53 Africans who claimed for themselves the basic human right to freedom.

#### Editorial Review

This human-authored definition has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/).

## Bibliography

- [Chadwick, B. *The Creole Rebellion: The Most Successful Slave Revolt in American History.* UNM Press, 2025.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0826368018/)
- [Delbanco, A. *The War Before the War: Fugitive Slaves and the Struggle for America's Soul from the Revolution to the Civil War.* Penguin Books, 2019.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0735224137/)
- [McPherson, J. M. *Battle Cry of Freedom.* Oxford University Press, 2003.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/019516895X/)
- [Rediker, M. *The Amistad Rebellion: An Atlantic Odyssey of Slavery and Freedom.* Penguin Publishing Group, 2013.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/014312398X/)
- [The Amistad Case | National Archives](https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/amistad "The Amistad Case | National Archives"), accessed 12 Aug 2025.
- [US Embassy in Georgia: How The Amistad Helped America Live Up To Its Ideals](https://ge.usembassy.gov/how-the-amistad-helped-america-live-up-to-its-ideals/ "US Embassy in Georgia: How The Amistad Helped America Live Up To Its Ideals"), accessed 12 Aug 2025.

## About the Author

Joshua J. Mark is World History Encyclopedia's co-founder and Content Director. He was previously a professor at Marist College (NY) where he taught history, philosophy, literature, and writing. He has traveled extensively and lived in Greece and Germany.
- [Linkedin Profile](https://www.linkedin.com/pub/joshua-j-mark/38/614/339)

## Timeline

- **1839 CE - 1841 CE**: The Africans of La Amistad are imprisoned while their case is heard.
- **Jul 1839 CE**: The schooner La Amistad is seized by illegally kidnapped Africans who are to be sold as slaves.
- **Jul 1839 CE - Aug 1839 CE**: La Amistad is piloted from the coast of Cuba to the United States and is found off the coast of New York.
- **Mar 1841 CE**: The US Supreme Court rules in favor of the Africans in the case of United States v. The Amistad (1841), and they are set free.
- **1842 CE**: Funded by the US abolitionists, the surviving 35 Africans of La Amistad return home to Sierra Leone in West [Africa](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/africa/).

## Questions & Answers

### What was The Amistad?
The Amistad was a commercial schooner that was serving as a slave ship in July 1839 when it was seized by 53 Africans who had been illegally kidnapped and brought to Cuba to be sold. The ship was captured by the United States, and the resulting court case on the fate of the Amistad Rebels became an international sensation with far-reaching consequences. 

### Who was the leader of the Amistad Rebels? 
The leader of the Amistad Rebels was Sengbe Pieh, better known as Joseph Cinque, a rice farmer from Sierra Leone. 

### Why is the story of the Amistad important?
The story of the Amistad is important because it highlights racial beliefs and policies of 19th-century America, inspired the most successful slave revolt in US history (the Creole Mutiny of 1841), heightened tensions in the USA leading up to the Civil War, and strengthened the abolitionist movement in the USA and abroad. 

### What finally happened to the 53 Africans on board the Amistad?
Of the original 53 Africans on board the Amistad in July 1839, only 35 were still living in 1841, as some died in prison and one drowned after being released. The surviving 35, funded by US abolitionists, were returned to West Africa in 1842. 


## External Links

- [The Amistad Case | National Archives](https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/amistad)
- [How The Amistad Helped America Live Up To Its Ideals/ US Embassy in Georgia](https://ge.usembassy.gov/how-the-amistad-helped-america-live-up-to-its-ideals/)
- [Milestones in the History of U.S. Foreign Relations - Office of the Historian](https://history.state.gov/milestones/1830-1860/amistad)
- [John Quincy Adams and the Amistad Case](https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/spotlight-primary-source/john-quincy-adams-and-amistad-case-1840)

## Cite This Work

### APA
Mark, J. J. (2025, August 15). Amistad Seizure: The Court Case that Captivated the World. *World History Encyclopedia*. [https://www.worldhistory.org/Amistad\_Seizure/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Amistad_Seizure/)
### Chicago
Mark, Joshua J.. "Amistad Seizure: The Court Case that Captivated the World." *World History Encyclopedia*, August 15, 2025. [https://www.worldhistory.org/Amistad\_Seizure/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Amistad_Seizure/).
### MLA
Mark, Joshua J.. "Amistad Seizure: The Court Case that Captivated the World." *World History Encyclopedia*, 15 Aug 2025, [https://www.worldhistory.org/Amistad\_Seizure/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Amistad_Seizure/).

## License & Copyright

Submitted by [Joshua J. Mark](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/JPryst/ "User Page: Joshua J. Mark"), published on 15 August 2025. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.