La Amistad

Quick Facts: Who was La Amistad?

Subject:

La Amistad

Known for:

A schooner central to the fight for abolition, symbolizing freedom from slavery.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

La Amistad (Spanish: [la amisˈtað]; Spanish for "The Friendship") was a 19th-century two-masted schooner owned by a Spaniard living in Cuba. It became renowned in July 1839 for a slave revolt by Mende captives who had been captured and sold to European slave traders and illegally transported by a Portuguese ship from West Africa to Cuba, in violation of European treaties against the Atlantic slave trade. Spanish plantation owners Don José Ruiz and Don Pedro Montes bought 53 captives in Havana, Cuba, including four children, and were transporting them on the ship to their plantations near Puerto Príncipe (modern Camagüey, Cuba). The revolt began after Sengbe Pieh (also known as Joseph Cinqué) unshackled himself and the others on the third day. They took control of the ship, killing the captain and the cook.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Two Africans were also killed in the melee. Pieh ordered Ruiz and Montes to sail to Africa. Instead, they sailed north up the east coast of the United States, sure that the ship would be intercepted and the Africans returned to Cuba as slaves. The revenue cutter Washington seized La Amistad off Montauk Point on Long Island, New York. Pieh and his group escaped the ship but were caught offshore by citizens.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

They were incarcerated in New Haven, Connecticut on charges of murder and piracy. The man who captured Pieh and his group claimed them as property. La Amistad was towed to New London, Connecticut, and those remaining on board were arrested. None of the 43 survivors on the ship spoke English, so they could not explain what had taken place. Eventually, language professor Josiah Gibbs found James Covey to act as interpreter, and they learned of the abduction.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1839: 1839 Milestone — It became renowned in July 1839 for a slave revolt by Mende captives who had been captured and sold to European slave traders and illegally transported by a Portuguese ship from West Africa to Cuba, in violation of European treaties against the Atlantic slave trade.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: La Amistad

True or False: “The initial revolt on La Amistad occurred when the Mende captives managed to cut their own manacles using a rusty file found in the main hold.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): The text explicitly states that 'In the main hold below decks, the captives found a rusty file and sawed through their manacles.'

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Anne Lee Guinness — Historical peer (Born in 1839) (1839): Irish philanthropist known for establishing nursing homes and supporting the poor in Dublin.
• Bernardino Caballero — Historical peer (Born in 1839) (1839): Influential Paraguayan general and statesman, founder of the Colorado Party.
• La Argentinita — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Iconic Spanish-Argentine flamenco dancer and singer, known as La Argentinita.
• La Belle Otero — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Spanish dancer, actress, and celebrated courtesan known for her beauty in 19th-century France.
• La Goulue — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Iconic French can-can dancer, star of the Moulin Rouge, known as 'The Glutton'
• La Malinche — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Nahua interpreter and advisor pivotal to the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire.

Frequently Asked Questions about La Amistad