How the Amistad Rebellion, and Its Extraordinary Trial, Unfolded
How the Amistad Rebellion, and Its Extraordinary Trial, Unfolded On this day in 1839, 53 people taken from Africa and bound for the American slave trade aboard La Amistad managed to revolt and kill the captain before being captured by the U.S. Navy off the coast of Long Island. At first, some of the escapees were imprisoned for murder and piracy while others were seized and claimed as property by local citizens. However, after a landmark case that went all the way to the Supreme Court, the mutineers were freed and returned to Sierra Leone. Learn more about the Amistad revolt Fifty-three enslaved people abducted from Africa revolt and kill the captain of the Amistad. The mutineers then commanded the navigator to bring them home to Sierra Leone, but he steered the ship north, where it was captured by the U.S. Navy. Following a protracted public debate and a Supreme Court case, the mutineers were released and returned to Sierra Leone. SHOP NOW ON AMAZON -- Slave Escapes and the Un...