Event of 1839: Slaves aboard the Amistad rebel and capture the ship.

Background. La Amistad was a two-masted schooner owned by Ramón Ferrer, a Spanish national living in Cuba. In June 1839, the ship departed Havana carrying general cargo and 53 African captives. These captives, identified as Mende people, had been illegally transported from West Africa to Cuba in violation of European treaties against the Atlantic slave trade.

The Revolt. The Mende captives rebelled against their captors in July 1839. The revolt occurred during the voyage from Havana to Guanaja, near Puerto Príncipe. The captives seized control of the ship, which was painted black at the time. The event was later recognized as self-defense against illegal enslavement.

Aftermath. La Amistad was discovered thirty miles southeast of Sandy Hook on August 21, 1839, by the pilot-boat Blossom, which supplied the men with water and bread. The trial took place in New Haven, the ship's homeport. In 1841, a ruling declared the Mende people had been illegally transported and held as slaves, affirming their right to rebel in self-defense.