Portraits from a Revolt

On July 2, 1839, Sengbe Pieh, better known as Joseph Cinqué, and some 50 or more fellow Africans killed the captain and three of the crew of the Spanish schooner La Amistad. The plan was to turn the vessel around and go back to Africa, from where they had been kidnapped and enslaved. They entrusted the Spanish navigator, Don Pedro Montez, whose life they spared, with steering the ship. He steered it along the North American coast off Montauk Point on Long. The Africans—Mende from Sierre Leone—surrendered the ship to the U.S. Navy only after determining that the United States was a “free” country.

It took two years for United States v. The Amistad to land in front of the Supreme Court. During that time, abolitionists publicized the plight of the Africans in newspapers, sent one of the Mende, Kale, on a speaking tour, and even mounted a production about the mutiny called The Black Schooner, at Niblo’s Garden theater in lower Manhattan. The Spanish slave traders, in an attempt to retrieve their “property” claimed indemnity for the enslaved Africans “pirates who, by revolt, murder, and robbery, had deprived” them of what was rightfully theirs.

The Africans were transported to New Haven, Connecticut, to await trial, and New Haven resident William H. Townsend made sketches of the Amistad captives while they were there. Yale University acquired 22 of these drawings when they were donated by a distant descendant of Townsend in 1934. He was 18 when he made the sketches. What sets them apart is the natural quality of the drawings, with not even a hint of caricature. Along with the images here are detailed biographies taken from John Warner Barber’s “A History of the Amistad Captives” published in 1840. In these bios, how each person was enslaved and by whom varies, and although in two of the descriptions presented here, a tribal leader and a family member are complicit, they do not represent all of the Mende stories. The idea that the Mende were the property of any person or entity—whether it was their tribal leader of family members; as salvage of the naval officers who took custody of the ship; the Cuban slave traders to where the Africans were bound; or Queen Isabella II of Spain who claimed them for her country—was tested and found wanting. Two years after the mutiny, in 1841, former President John Quincy Adams argued that the Mende kidnapped from their homeland, had the right to defend themselves against, and if necessary kill, anyone who stood in the way of their freedom. The Africans won the case, and the next year, helped by abolitionist Lewis Tappan and the American Missionary Association, Cinque and his friends were back in their own country.

For more portraits of the Amistad Africans visit the Beinecke Library website at Yale University

Gi-la-ba-ru [Grab-eau] (have mercy on me,) was born in Fu-
Lu, in the Mendi country, two moons’ journey into the interior. His name in the public prints is generally spelt Grabeau. He was the next after Cinqué in command of the Amistad. His parents are dead, one brother and one sister living. He is married, but no children’ he is a planter of rice. His king Baw-baw, lived at Fu-lu. He saw Cinqué at Fulu and Fadzhinna, in Bombali. He was caught on the road when going to Taurang, in the Bandi country, to buy clothes. His uncle had bought two slaves in Bandi, and gave them in payment for a debt; one of them ran away, and he (Grabeau) was taken for him. He was sold to a Vai-man, who sold him to Laigo, a Spaniard at Lomboko. Slaves in this place are put into a prison, two are chained together by the legs, and the Spaniards give them rice and fish to eat. In his country has seen people write—they wrote from right to left. They have cows, sheep, and goats, and wear cotton cloth. Smoking tobacco is a common practice. None but the rich eat salt, it costs so much. Has seen leopards and elephants, the latter of which, are hunted for ivory. Grabeau is four feet eleven inches in height; very active, especially in turnings somersets. Besides Mendi, he speaks Vai, Kon-no and Gissi. He aided John Ferry by his knowledge of Gissi, in the examination at Hartford.

Kimbo (cricket) is 5 ft. 6 in. in height, with mustaches and long beard; in middle life, and is intelligent. He was born at Maw-ko-ba, a town in the Mendi country; his father was a gentleman, and after his death, his king took him for his slave, and gave him to his son Ban-ga, residing in the Bullom country. He was sold to a Bullom man, who sold him to a Spaniard at Lomboko. He counts thus: 1, etå; 2, filî; 3, kiau-wá; 4, náeni; 5, lóelu; 6, wêta; 7, wafurá; 8 wayapá; 9, tá-u; 10, pu.—Never saw any books in his country. When people die in his country, they suppose the spirit lives, but where, they cannot tell.

Mar-gru (black snake) 4ft.3in. a young girl, with a large, high forehead; her parents were living; she had four sisters and two brothers; she was pawned by her father for a debt, which being unpaid, she was sold into slavery.

Sing-be [Cin-que] (generally spelt Cinquez) was born in Ma-ni, in Dzho-poa, i.e. in the open land, in the Men-di country. The distance from Mani to Lomboko, he says, is ten suns, or days. His mother is dead, and he lived with his father. He has a wife and three children, one son and two daughters. His son’s name is Ge-waw, (God.) His king, Ka-lum-bo, lived at Kaw-
men-di, a large town in Mendi country. He is a planter of rice, and never owned or sold slaves. He was seized by four men, when traveling in the road, and his right hand tied to his neck. Ma-
ya-gi-la-lo sold him to Ba-ma-dzha, son of Shaka, king of Gen-
du-ma, in the Vai country. Bamadzha carried him to Lomboko and sold him to a Spaniard. He was with Mayagilalo three nights,with Bamadzha one month, and at Lomboko two months. He had heard of Pedro Blanco, who lived at Te-i-lu, near Lomboko.