Unlike her awardwinning bestselling novel sally hemings 1979, echo of. Supreme court justices in 1839 were slaveowning southerners. An account of the slave trade on the coast of africa 2. Amistad amistad director steven spielberg has done a great job in his movie amistad that was released in the year 1997. Amistad movie is directed by steven spielberg and howard jones book mutiny on the amistad. It is also the story of john quincy adams, the former american president, who reluctantly heeded the call to justice and defended cinque in a supreme court trial that would alter the nations history. This movie is a fictionalized account of the 1839 revolt by illegally enslaved africans aboard the spanish ship, le amistad. It is possible that a major reason the mens and womens quarter were separate on slave ships was so that the traffickers could have easier access to the women without dealing with angry african men. In this essay he explores the problems faced by the producers of amistad and the shortcomings of both the film and its accompanying study guide in their attempt to portray history. The slave trades abolition was aided greatly, when leaders such as thomas jefferson turned against the trade, and promoted its abolition. The plot is typically spoiled, while your expectations are shattered. Students are asked to present a mini book of which they will recount the story of the amistad, with animations.
The film follows the events which occurred after the revolt by enslaved africans onboard the slave ship amistad. Two spanish plantation owners, don jose ruiz and don. Amistad 28 movie clip the middle passage 1997 hd duration. Nov 01, 1997 sentences you thought youd never read. May 01, 1997 amistad is the powerfully reimagined history of one of the countrys first battles for civil rights. Invision employees share their remote work secrets. Amistad by david pesci meet your next favorite book. What are the values and limitations of the film amistad. Feb 25, 2007 cinque tells of the various horrors of the middle passage, such as when fifty people were drowned to save rations. The middle passage was the stage of the triangular trade in which millions of africans were shipped to the new world as part of.
The amistad slave rebellion, 175 years ago history. The film is a fictional portrayal of events surrounding the successful revolt in 1839 by a group of africans headed for slavery in the americas. At the end of the film it is revealed that although cinque returns home, his family was probably captured and sold into the new world. It is a heart touching story of african slaves and how they were not treated as human beings. The movie shows the world the cruelty of slave trading that was practiced in the past. With djimon hounsou, matthew mcconaughey, anthony hopkins, morgan freeman. Cinque informs of the numerous scaries of the middle passage, such as when fifty people were drowned to save provisions. It is important to note that the amistad case was a symbolically important. It does contain a few visually compelling moments, such as the scene on a slave ship that viscerally conveys the horrors of the middle passage. This movie is still amazingly powerful 20 years later. American officials immediately arrested the africans and charged them with murder for the revolt on the ship, and thus cinque and his fellow africans soon found themselves at the center of a huge and long legal battle that would decide.
His new film centers on the legal status of africans who rise up against their captors on the high seas and are. Amistad is a 1997 steven spielberg film based on the true story of a slave revolt which took place aboard a ship of the same name in 1839, and the legal battle that followed. The ship crosses the middle passage and docks in cuba. Amistad, the new film by steven spielberg, is a masterpiece of film making providing a thoroughly rewarding entertainment and learning experience. As history, this account of a cuban slave ship seized in 1839 by its african captives, and their legal travail that ended in the u. In 1839 it was owned by ramon ferrer, a spanish national. The films protagonist, sengbe pieh, most known by his spanish name, cinque, painstakingly picks a nail out of the ships structure and uses it to pick the lock on his shackles. Based on the true story of a significant moment during americas slave trade, this movie shows the saga of an 1839 mutiny aboard the slave ship, amistad. The ship that carries the africans over middle passage. It shows how, even though the case was won at the federal district court level, it was appealed by president martin van buren to the supreme court, and how former president john quincy adams took part in the proceedings. In 1839, the revolt of mende captives aboard a spanish owned ship causes a major controversy in the united states when the ship is captured off the coast of long island. Producer debbie allen had just finished reading a book of essays and articles titled amistad i and. Much of the story revolves a courtroom drama as lawyers for the slaves seek their freedom and return home. The middle passage was the stage of the triangular trade in which millions of africans were shipped to the new world as part of the atlantic slave trade.
There they will discover several shelves of books on slavery and slave resistance, from. In my opinion this movie or book would be helpful for future generations so. Amistad is the powerfully reimagined history of one of the countrys first battles for civil rights. Amistad is the story of cinque, the illegally enslaved son of a mende chief who led an uprising full of fury and courage.
Slavery could, i suppose, be seen largely as a matter of laws and propertyat least to those benefitting from it. Amistad is a book based upon the screenplay for the movie directed by stephen spielberg. The highly intriguing film left me searching for more, which pate dutifully provided. The saga of a slave revolt and its impact on american. Amistad omits some truths that must be told baltimore sun. One of the astonishing facts revealed in steven spielbergs amistad is that seven of the nine u. Students of all ages might not be able to view the movie amistad, but rich curriculum materials are available for teaching across the grades about this pivotal event in american history. Will students be able to look at the film, and the history it depicts. Historian eric foner, dewitt clinton professor of history at columbia university, examines the issues surrounding the historical film amistad. Amistad movie essay example topics and well written essays. A contemporary course catalog for the school noted that amistad friendship the free university was established after a week of national and local turmoil to meet the needs of those individuals who wanted to discuss, study and act upon those problems and concerns of our society that are not covered in the university curriculum. Steven spielbergs amistad takes the audience on a journey in an african slave ship to the shores of connecticut and the halls of the highest court.
In the district court, baldwin brings as evidence a book he found on the ship. Great portrait of the tensions precivil war, as well as the pain and horrors of the middle passage. For four centuries the traffic in human cargo transported tens. The movie amistad is a wonderful story of slavery in america and the subsequent supreme court trial.
I edited this clip of the middle passage so that it is appropriate for a public school classroom, although i would stil warn my students that the images are graphic and disturbing. The amistads story began in 1839 when slave hunters captured large numbers of native africans near mendeland in presentday sierre leone. In the district court, baldwin brings as proof a book he found on the ship. To the movies credit it does present a few powerful, perhaps unforgettable, scenes of the horrors of the middle passage. Some historical considerations world socialist web. They were taken to the african slave port of lomboko where a total of 500 people were purchased by a slave trader.
This seems like as good a time as any other to read amistad, the novelization of the 1997 spielberg film now played in high school history classes the world over including in my grade 12 history class. These captives were sent to havana, cuba to be sold into slavery. Take your hr comms to the next level with prezi video. The case is a watershed moment for americaspain relations, and reveals the political.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. I saw it when it came out, and just rewatched it with my 15 yr old who is taking ap history this year. Amistad is a 1997 american historical drama film directed by steven spielberg, based on the. Based on the true story of the 1839 mutiny on board the spanish slave ship, amistad, here is the frightening sequence of events that led fiftythree young men and women and one young nation to seek freedom and justice for all people. Steven spielbergs 1996 movie, amistad, brought world attention to the amistad. Ten months later, in january 1842, the thirtyfive amistad africans who had. However, this is not the case with pates amistad, based on the screenplay of spielbergs extravaganza. The middle passage of the triangle trade was the second leg of the threepart journey from africa to the european colonies, in which slaves were transported by the millions. Spielberg does a great job in recreating the amistad revolt that spurred a series of trials beginning in the lower courts of connecticut and ultimately. But complex white historic figures are presented as noble men interested. Played by matthew mcconaughey, a lawyer in the movie they portrayed him as being crazy, fool, lower in social status, however in reality he came from a high up family lewis tappan was a newspaper and printing press publisher, abolitionist, founded oberlin college, was the one paid baldwin to represent the slaves in court, is rich, was a fan. Overall, however, as a movie amistad is simply a bore. David franzonis screenplay was based on the book mutiny on the amistad. At the time of the amistad incident in 1839, there were millions of slaves in the south, but slavery was illegal in the north, where black people lived freely although still as second class citizens.
Most often, it is a waste of your time to read a book after you see a movie. The ship engaged in the shorter, domestic coastwise trade around. I would like to break down what transpired in the movie and how the characters were portrayed and find homework help for other history. Feb 06, 2019 the amistad slave rebellion, 175 years ago. On june 28, the amistad left havana under the cover of nightfall so as to best avoid british antislavery patrols. It describes the africans capture, their enslavement, their purchase, the overthrow of their captors and the subsequent trials in america.
Amistad, the film directed by steven spielberg, places before a large audience a glimpse of the brutality of the african slave trade. The movie amistad did not sink like a rock when it a debuted at american movie theaters in december, 1997, but it was nearly swallowed by a whale. When a group of men and women were kidnapped from the. It describes the africans capture, their enslavement, their purchase, the overthrow of their captors and the subsequent trials in america, where they won their freedom and eventual return to. This is amistad middle passage edited by george washington on vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. The true horrors of the middle passage would be incomplete without acknowledging the abuse of the female captives by slavers and traffickers. Amistad movie essay example topics and well written. Movie worksheetincludes basic questions to go along with the movie 1 page 2. Will students be able to look at the film, and the history it depicts, with a critical eye. Historians have a vital interest in the debate over amistad which was released on video in june, 1998, for the film will surely be used in future classroom discussion of slavery, the middle passage, and race in the western world. This has always been a great way to show the relevance of amistad in american history. The courts must decide whether the mende are slaves or legally free. The saga of a slave revolt and its impact on american abolition, law and diplomacy are historical accounts of the slave mutiny that occurred in the year 1839. Get an answer for a detailed summary of the film amistad.
218 1501 1231 718 390 398 723 979 789 1610 684 1614 226 1481 870 358 500 496 1037 1526 953 836 772 854 1059 103 615 757 426 1098 1214 1013 872