The Case of the Slave Ship Amistad

by Mary Cable

In August 1839, what appeared to be a listless pirate ship, unidentified by any flag, was spotted off the North Atlantic coast of the United States. On board were thirty barely clad black men, armed with cutlasses, and two white men - Spanish slave owners with an incredible story to tell.

A month earlier, the Amistad had set sail from Havana with a valuable cargo of slaves and $40,000 worth of gold doubloons. She was headed for the Cuban coastal town of Puerto Principe - but in a matter of days, the captain and the cook were dead, and the ship was in the control of the slaves.

Thus began "the Amistad affair," which, writes Mary Cable, "was to bedevil the diplomatic relations of the United States, Spain, and England for a generation; intensify bitterness over the question of slavery; and lead an ex-president (John Quincy Adams) to go before the Supreme Court and castigate the administration in an eloquent plea for the slaves' freedom. In her fascinating and carefully researched account, Cable takes us right to the heart of these complex matters, dramatically replaying an incredible series of events that converged to form a uniquely exciting and challenging chapter in American history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Africa, American History

108 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 3, 2017

Reviews

[C.E. DeJoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Academic account of the Amistad incident of 1839

A very interesting incident in history where a ship of blacks who had been brought from Africa to Cuba. They were sold there and being transported on the ship Amistad to another port in Cuba when they broke their chains and took over the ship. The ship ended up on the coast of America where it was seized. Several trials ensued eventually being heard in the Supreme court with John Quincy Adams representing the Amistad blacks. A little too academic for me but interesting.

[Virginia G. Turnbull · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s an interesting bit of history I didn’t know and it was particularly interesting to learn about the amount of racism that was rampant in the North. The part that I found most fascinating was the legal complications presented by this case and the superb way they were dealt with by John Q. Adams who served as the lawyer for these poor souls. He was largely responsible for eventual release of the Africans and their eventual return to Africa.

[Jaye Latts · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was pretty good, although I wish we had more about the supposed slaves, but that's quite difficult, seeing as they were considered savages, and supposedly had no story to tell! This is still a compelling story, especially when John Quincy Adams gets involved; boy, what an orator and brilliant mind.

[Barbara Heerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is well-told, and legal jurisdictional arguments are well-explained. It's a relatively short book (about a 2 hour read) full of significant moral and legal questions that are well-articulated. Written in a popular history format, it lacks footnotes and a bibliography. As a retired educator, I wish that it at least had some forms of attribution.

[Randy Cochran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple Narrative for those who wish background on Amistad affair

Documentation is scarce, but the account is believable. I got what I wanted here, the "story" behind Amistad and it's significance, including its relationship to the founding of many black colleges.

[Derrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good account of one uprising which worked in the slaves' favor, against considerable odds.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book helps put the events of the movie in context, and brings up many questions about Western ideas of justice and doing “right.”

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would give it 4 stars for interest and thoroughness. Would give it 2 stars for readability. That said, I found it hard to put down and easy to return to.