Anonymous

United States VS. Amistad

 “In 1839 two Spaniards purchased a group of kidnapped Africans and put them aboard the schooner Amistad for a journey from Cuba to Principe. The Africans overpowered the ship’s crew, killing two men, and ordered the Spaniards to street towards Africa. The crew steered instead toward the United States coast, where the U.S. brig Washington seized the ship, freeing the Spaniards and imprisoning the Africans. A series of petitions to the courts ensued, in which the Spaniards claimed the Africans as their property, and the Americans who had seized the ship claimed a share of the cargo, including the Africans, as their lawful salvage. The Court, however, declared that the Africans were not property and issued a decree that the unlawfully kidnapped Africans ‘be and are hereby declared to be free.’”   Summary of the history & issues of the case:        The United States versus Amistad case essentially explains the 1839 argument the United States had with Spain. Spaniards named Ramón Ferrer, José Ruiz, and Pedro Montez went to Africa and purchased kidnapped African slaves. They brought the African slaves aboard the Amistad and headed towards Cuba from Principe. They had a total of 39 African slaves on the ship. While on the ship, the African slaves had been frequently whipped and badly treated. Some people think they had been killed and eaten by the crew. The African slaves were fed up with the continuous torment of the crew and the slaves decided to fight back against the crew. The leader of the slave revolt was Joseph Cinqué. Cinqué armed himself and the other 38 slaves aboard with knives. The African slaves captured the captain and his crew. Cinqué and the slaves killed the captain Ferrer and the cook Celestino and injured the rest of the crew. Cinqué ordered the crew to steer in the direction of rising sun which is towards Africa. The crew deceived them and instead they steered towards the United States. The African slaves were sailing for 2 months and had to share the food and water supply to survive. It has been 2 months and the ship was on Long Island, New York’s port. The African slaves had intentions of trading with the fishermen in hopes of getting food by trade and getting home to Africa. But instead the African slaves were put in prison and the problem was that Lieutenant Gedney had no authority to capture the Amistad because it was lawfully run by Joseph Cinqué and that the African slaves were not unlawful in the actions. But there were plenty of facts against the African slaves’ case. The abolitionist needed to hear the African slaves’ version of the actions and prove their innocence before Supreme Court. The abolitionist couldn’t find an African slave who could speak the language of the African and English. They found an African slave who could translate and that helped build the positives of the case. So the abolitionist came up with the Amistad committee.         The trial went to a lower court on September 14th. All the prisoners were led into the courtroom to stand trial. The African slaves were being charged with murder and piracy. But the court had no jurisdiction since the crimes were committed on a Spanish ship and in Spanish waters. The court ruled that the case needed more investigation and let the slaves out on bail based on price of slaves of Cuban market. But the defense lawyers argued the decision and the African slaves were put back into prison. The court ruled to put them back to prison because of defenses’ tough argument against the African slaves stating that the bail system that the court setup for the African slaves was unjust. They declared that they committed a gruesome crime toward the crew and that they should pay the ultimate price.   Summary of the Supreme Court Decision:        The Supreme Court took into thought about all the evidence and the conditions against the prisoners. While the Supreme Court was looking over the case, the prisoners were learning to read and write in English. The case was at first postponed because not all witnesses were available to be at the trial. The trial went from the control of President Adams to President Van Buren. The court ruled that although it was wrong that the slaves overwhelmed the ship and killed the captain and some of the crew members that took away the African slaves constitutional right of freedom and that the crime in general didn’t happen in United States waters or territory. And that the Spaniard crew illegally purchased the African slaves because they were kidnapped. They felt that the African slaves’ innate freedom was wrongfully taken from them. The defense was upset that the Supreme Court ruled to free the African slaves.         The defense said that the African slaves should have been prosecuted for the murders of the captain and crew members and for stealing the crew ship. They also put out that the African slaves were property to the Spaniards and as property they should have listened to their owners. So basically their opinion was that the African slaves should have been prosecuted and either sent to prison or enslaved. So the African slaves were free to go home to Africa but President Van Buren ruled to free the African slaves. He made it harder on the African slaves because he refused to send home the African slaves and supply a ship for them to get back. So the abolitionist had to raise the money to buy the ship and get the African slaves back home to Africa. In the closing stages, the African slaves are free to go home. Also the Supreme Court ruled that the remainder of crew had to be prosecuted for their participation in the Amistad events. The defense still tried to suggest that it was against the Spanish-American treaty being that the African slaves were not apart of the United States trade system but apart of the Spanish trade system. Still, all those opposed lost and the African slaves could go home.   What is the significance of this Supreme Court case?        I think the Amistad was a case of limitations. It wasn’t a stable case mainly based on whether or not the African slaves on the Amistad were legally free or property and could be sold on the Cuban market. Basically the African slaves broke loose of their chains and shackles because all they simply sought to get back home to Africa. Yes, the African slaves took the brutal approach but in their own self mind all they wanted was to regain their natural right to be free. They were being abused everyday and practically starved to death by the crew. So with all those conditions against them, they fought back. They took over the crew and with the hopes of returning home instead ending up in the United States which they were imprisoned. Butt the justice system worked in their favor and freed them. And that makes this case a big case because at a time when slavery was going on, these African slaves beat the justice system. But it brings up the thought that it did have an impact on American civilization at the time and changed everything for the better. I would have to say no because after the Amistad ruling yes those African slaves got to return home but the other African slaves on southern plantations were still in enslaved. Yes, the case shed light on the slavery issue and human trade issue but it didn’t stop these actions. Because even after the Amistad case, slavery was still going on and in a wider point of view the African slaves only made it back because of conditions, one because it was apart of Spanish territory but became apart of United States territory when the ship stopped at the United States port and two because Joseph Cinqué was captain over the ship. So they weren’t property but looked at as a crew on a ship. But if they had not taken over the ship they just would have been African slaves somewhere in Cuba or Spain just as easily.   Your opinion of this case:        I felt that this case was very important because it helped the world see that African people are people too. They are human beings just like us and don’t deserve to be treated any other way. I learned that people were so cruel back then and slavery was really bad. I feel that the Supreme Court did make the right decision because just like I said Africans are people too. Just because someone looks different doesn’t mean they should be treated differently. I feel that yes the Africans did take over the ship and kill the captain and some of the crew. But the African slaves in the sense were fighting for their innate right to freedom. All the African slaves had been captured which is basically kidnapped which is taking their freedom. So yes the slaves were wrong for murders but they were just fighting the injustice against them; the beatings, the starvation. All they really wanted to do was go home. They just got fed up with their abuse. I feel this case really focused on the unfair treatment of Africans and other slaves’ abuse and the horrible condition in which slave ship owners were treating the people on the ship. So basically in my opinion the slaves of Amistad had the right to revolt against their captures in order to regain their natural right to freedom.