• Slave revolt occurs on the ship La Amistad
o Make it 6 weeks until they need more supplies and end up getting captured again
• Queen Isabella B = queen of Spain at this time
• Martin Van Buren = 8th president of the USA and is president during the movie
• 1839 – Amistad revolters are charged in court for piracy, and murder
o Secretary of State = Farysworth
Claims that the slaves are property of Spain according to the stipulations of a treaty the US had made with Spain earlier
o June 26, 1839 – receipt of the purchased slaves from Havana Cuba (this is when the slaves were on the Tacuora (I have no idea how to spell “Tecoura” …..my bad!!!) ship and once they were bought in Cuba they got on to La Amistad)
• The first court case is won by the slaves and because of this Van Buren dismisses the judge and jury for a judge and jury that he handpicks himself so that the slaves will lose the case
o The abolitionists go to John Quincy Adams (the previous president, who at first did not want to get involved) to ask him for advice on what to do and for help (again)
He talks about how the abolitionists need to know the slave’s “stories”
• More than where they came from and who’s property they are; he explains that where someone is from is not who they are or what their story is
• The abolitionists therefore begin to learn African and are quite unsuccessful until a black man hears them counting and offers to help them
o James Covey was rescued off a slave ship by the British navy and therefore knows how to speak English and Mende
• When trying to learn Cinque’s story they find out about how he killed a lion that was killing many people in his village back home
o Because he killed the lion he received great respect and was treated like a prince
But Cinque felt that he didn’t deserve this treatment because it was a lucky break and therefore he thinks that he shouldn’t be the leader of the people in his village or from La Amistad
• “I’m not a big man,...