Mutiny on the Amistad: The Saga of a Slave Revolt and its Impact on American Abolition, Law, and Diplomacy

296 Pages·1987·18.28 MB·English

by  Howard Jones

MUTINY ON THE
AMISTAD

MUTINY ON THE
AMISTAD
The Saga of a Slave Revolt
and Its Impact on American
Abolition; Law and Diplomacy
;
HOWARD JONES
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
New York Oxford
Oxford University Press
Oxford New York Toronto
Delhi Bombay Calcutta Madras Karachi
Petaling Jaya Singapore Hong Kong Tokyo
Nairobi Dar es Salaam Cape Town
Melbourne Auckland
and associated companies in
Beirut Berlin Ibadan Nicosia
Copyright © 1987 by Howard Jones
First published in 1987 by Oxford University Press, Inc.,
198 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016-4314
First issued as an Oxford University Press paperback, 1988
Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior permission of Oxford University Press, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Jones, Howard, 1940-
Mutiny on the Amistad.
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.
1. Slavery—United States—Insurrections, etc.
2. Amistad (Schooner) 3. Slavery—United States—
Anti-slavery movements. I. Title.
E447J66 1986 326'.0973 86-8692
ISBN 0-19-503828-2
ISBN 0-19-503829-0 (ppbk.)
468 10 97 5
Printed in the United States of America
"CINQUE"
The sea calm tonight.
Another night like this we buy
Freedom
dearly.
We strike.
blood flow
we kill
We win.
We spare two
Take us home
Africa.
They trick us
We should not trust them
They bring us west
Demand us
sent to Cuba
Chain and whip
kill for crime.
America kind
teach us tell what happen
give us land grow food
talk in court
King with white hair
talk soft
convince
send us tell what happen that
night.
We make friend
boy Kali
they love
pay for ship
We go home.
The sea calm tonight
Tonight peaceful
no fighting
no blood
just peace.
We go home.
Oscar A. Bouise
Professor Emeritus of History
Xavier University, New Orleans, 1981
This page intentionally left blank
SS8S8888888888888888S8S88888S8S88SSS8S88S8888S888S8888S
Preface
A book is almost always a product of many people's labors, and in
this case the generalization holds especially true. Without the assis-
tance of friends and colleagues, any merit that the following work
might have would be considerably less.
I was particularly fortunate to have sound advice and encour-
agement throughout the various stages of this project. Tony A.
Freyer shared with me his deep knowledge of American constitu-
tional law and saved me from a number of pitfalls and errors. His
continual exhortations were also vital to my completing the manu-
script earlier than expected. Maurice G. Baxter carefully read the
manuscript and offered many recommendations on style, analysis,
and the legal aspects of ihe Amistad and related court cases. Robert
E. May also gave the manuscript a close reading and made many
helpful suggestions. Forrest and Ellen McDonald provided more
assistance than anyone is entitled to receive. Twice they set aside
their own work and read my manuscript, making countless rec-
ommendations on every aspect of the making of a book. Others
who read part of the manuscript or helped in some way included
Robert H. Ferrell, Suzanne Freeman, R. Kent Newmyer, David M.
Fletcher, Kenneth E. Shewmaker, and Randall B. Woods. Tim
Johnson provided invaluable assistance in translating Spanish
materials from Madrid and Havana. And, as ever, Guy Swanson
repeatedly expressed friendly encouragement and sincere interest
in my work.
Archivists in four countries furnished the kind of assistance that
helps to make research and writing a pleasure. In the United States,
Clifton H. Johnson and his staff at the Amistad Research Center
provided expert guidance into the rich collection of Amistad mate-
viii Preface
rials in New Orleans. Floyd M. Shumway, former executive direc-
tor of the New Haven Colony Historical Society, was enormously
helpful in securing materials relating to the case. David L. Parke,
Jr., has continued his predecessor's fine example. Judith Ann SchifF
and Patricia Howell provided assistance in finding Amistad items
housed in the Sterling Memorial Library of Yale University. James
K. Owens located legal materials in the circuit and district court
records stored in the Federal Archives and Records Center in Wal-
tham, Massachusetts. Others who facilitated my work were John
McDonough of the Library of Congress, John D. Gushing of the
Massachusetts Historical Society, Tom Canden of the University
of Georgia Library, John C. Dann of the William L. Clements
Library of the University of Michigan, and the staffs of the
National Archives, the New York Public Library, and the Univer-
sity of Alabama Library. In England, the staffs of the British
Library, the Public Record Office, and the Royal Historical Manu-
scripts Commission provided important assistance. My experience
in Spain was equally satisfying. Jose Antonio Martinez Bara and
his staff at the Archive Historico Nacional in Madrid located the
Spanish materials cited in this study. The staffs of both the Archive
General de Indias in Seville and the Archive General de Simancas
assured me there were no Amistad materials in their collections.
From Cuba, Armando S. Mal-lia B. sent microfilm copies of the
few items in the Archivo Nacional in Havana that related to the
mutiny. Although these materials did not shape the manuscript,
his help is indicative of the spirit of scholarly cooperation that
crosses international borders.
Financial assistance from several sources helped in the prepa-
ration of this book. The American Council of Learned Societies
awarded a grant that, combined with financial help authorized by
President Joab L. Thomas and Academic Vice-President Roger E.
Sayers of the University of Alabama, allowed me to devote the full
academic year of 1984-85 to the Amistad. The National Endow-
ment for the Humanities awarded a Summer Stipend in 1984 that
relieved me from teaching duties and afforded additional research
time. The American Philosophical Society provided assistance that
allowed research in Washington, D.C., during the spring of 1985.
From the University of Alabama, I received support from the Cap-
stone International Program Center (through the efforts of Edward
H. Moseley, its director), the College of Arts and Sciences (through
the help of Richard E. Peck, David L. Klemmack, and William D.
Barnard), and the Bankhead Fund.
Preface ix
There is no way to express my gratitude to those people with
whom I have come into contact at Oxford University Press. Shel-
don Meyer believed in the Amistad project from its beginning and
has continued his enthusiastic support to its completion. Rachel
Toor has been a constant source of encouragement, masterfully
combining a genuine professionalism with a friendly interest in
book and author. Otto Sonntag provided splendid editorial exper-
tise in the last stages of the manuscript's preparation.
Others deserve thanks. Pete Maslowski introduced me to the
world of word processors, and Mary Ann, my wife, companion,
confidante, and dearest friend, found a way to purchase one for the
home. As always, my parents furnished the type of support that
can result only from our close relationship. My daughter Shari
accompanied me in cars and on planes, trains, and ships in run-
ning down materials on the Amistad in the United States, England,
and Spain. More important, she refused to allow the hours both
inside and outside the libraries to become boring. To Mary Ann
and our three offspring, Debbie, Howie, and Shari, I dedicate this
work with heartfelt appreciation for their patience and under-
standing.
Whatever good qualities this work may have, I freely share in
attribution with all of those mentioned above; the inadequacies I
jealously claim as my own.
University, Alabama Howard Jones
Spring 1986