The Amistad Essay
The Amistad
The Amistad was a Spanish ship built in Baltimore for the purpose of transporting slaves. For three
years, it sailed the high seas delivering its cargo to various locations. But in August of 1838, a
scandalous injustice was uncovered after the ship was seized by an American vessel, the USS
Washington, a coast guard ship under the command of Lt. Thomas R. Gedney. Lt. Gedney and his
crew towed the Amistad into a New England harbor in Connecticut where soon many controversies
amounted and drama would unfold.
For 63 days, the Amistad had been drifting toward the American shoreline. As conditions deteriorated
aboard the vessel, it s inhabitants at the time, Africans, sick and dying, were in need of food and water.
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Green and Lt. Gedney, were claiming salvage rights to the ship. The value of the cargo was estimated
at $40,000, not including the Africans, who were an additional $20,000 $30,000 on the Havana
market. United States District Attorney for Connecticut, William Hollabird was called in.
Slave trade had been outlawed in the United States colonies for almost 30 years and in Spain for 19.
Feeling something was wrong with the stories surrounding this vessel, Mr. Hollabird ordered a judicial
hearing. The call for the hearing was not out of concern for the Africans, but, Mr. Hollabird, as a
representative of the law, had to follow legal procedures of an investigation. The matter of murder,
piracy, salvage rights and more sent this case to trial, and the Africans were placed in detainment
under the custody of the US Marshall. The case appeared before Judge Andrew Judson.
Abolitionists were very active during this time in history. After they became aware of this case, they
decided to become involved on behalf of the Africans. They were to use this case as a means of
publicizing the evils of the African slave trade and slavery itself.
Lewis Tappan, a descendant of Benjamin Franklin, wanted to change the world. As an admitted
Christian evangelistic abolitionist, he firmly believed slavery was a moral wrong and openly opposed
it. He called for many of the leading
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