MEDIA center: photos
In Photos:
Aboard the Amistad moored off Sheffield Island
The Hour | July 26, 2017
Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media
Local boaters get a closer look as the replica of the Spanish schooner the Amistad sits moored off Sheffield Island Wednesday, July 26, 2017, in Norwalk, Conn. The Amistad was made famous by its slave revolt made by Mende captives in 1839. The African captives seized control of the ship, killing some of the crew and ordering the survivors to sail the ship to Africa. However, the surviving crew steered the Amistad north and it was ultimately captured off the coast of Long Island. The ship and slaves were interned in Connecticut. The Amistad owners claimed the slaves as property, but the U.S. had banned African trade and argued that the captives were legally free. The case, United States v. The Amistad gained international intrigue, and was ultimately decided on in favor of the Mende by the Supreme Court.
