The Amistad Story

The National Park Service invites you to travel the Amistad.  The Amistad was a Spanish schooner taken over by a group of captured Africans seeking to escape impending slavery in Cuba.  It lobbed the country into a debate about slavery, freedom, and the meaning of citizenship.

Explore more Discover our Shared Heritage Travel Itineraries and learn about our diverse heritage by visiting Telling All Americans' Stories.
 

old statehouse dome in hartford ct
Trip Idea: Travel the Amistad Story!

Traveling in and around Connecticut in the near future? Learn about the Amistad so you can plan to visit its associated sites while there!

oil painting of the amistad
Amistad: How it Began

Learn about the background that lead to the decision in US vs. Amistad

view of the US supreme court
The Legal Battle

How did the legal battle develop and lead to the Supreme Court decision in US vs. Amistad?

painting of sengbe pieh
Sengbe Pieh (Joseph Cinque)

Learn about the man responsible for taking over the Amistad, which ultimately led to one of the nation's first civil rights trials

photograph of john quincy adams
John Quincy Adams and the Amistad Event

John Quincy Adams argued the Mende case before the Supreme Court. Learn why the Amistad Committee felt he was the best candidate to do so

Austin F. Williams Carriagehouse and House
Austin F. Williams Carriagehouse

Learn about the role that the carriagehouse served for the Mende Africans

postcard areal view of new haven green
New Haven Green

The Mende Africans exercised on the New Haven Green and it was a place for their supports to congregate. Learn more about it's significance

First Church of Christ, Farmington CT
First Church of Christ

Learn about the church that the Mende Africans attended while in Connecticut

Last updated: October 23, 2017