In the summer of 1839, 53 Africans commandeered La Amistad, a schooner headed towards a Caribbean plantation. After a long trip from Sierra Leone to Havana, taunts from La Amistad’s cook were the breaking point for the captives. They killed the cook and the captain, ordering their two slave-owners to sail to Africa. The ship was seized off the coast of Long Island, whereafter the slaves were imprisoned in New London, Connecticut and eventually became part of a landmark Supreme Court Case. A replica of the historic ship, Amistad, will dock at the Hudson River Maritime Museum’s riverfront marina from August 3 through 7. The Discovering Amistad education team will be offering public guided and self-guided tours going deeper into the ship’s history. As a bonus, there will be a film screening on August 4, a lecture on August 6, and a pay-what-you-can day on August 7.
