Slavery- Part Three- Resistance

1831- Nat Turners rebellion 

Watch birth of a nation?

1839 - La Armistad Rebellion 

A slave ship called La Amistad set sail from Havana, Cuba. The Spanish crew were taking the 53 slaves (49 adults and 3 children) to be delivered to the town of Camaguey, Cuba. They had originally been captured in Sierra Leone and sold to the Spanish. At the time, Britain and the United States had outlawed Atlantic Slave trading but Spain still allowed it.

They got out to sea the ship’s cook jokingly told the slaves that they were going to be “Killed, salted and cooked.” Whether or not the slaves thought he was serious, it made them want to escape all the more. One slave was able to file through his chains. He freed the other men and they picked up cane cutting machete’s and went onto the top deck. A fight broke out and the slaves outnumbered the crew and killed everyone except for two men. Three slaves were killed in the fight. The slaves didn’t know how to sail a ship and demanded that the two men, Jose Ruiz and Pedro Montes, sail them back to Africa.

Instead of following their orders the two Spanish sailors directed the ship up the American coast. They drifted off the coast of Long Island, New York and the US Coast Guard brought them ashore. Slavery was abolished in New York in 1827. Only 12 years previously. Many petitions and claims were made about what should happen to the ship, the slaves and the two Spaniards. The Spanish Government demanded everything be returned to them. The President Martin Van Buren agreed with them but the executive branch had no say over the judicial branch. An abolitionist group argued that the slaves were illegally taken and should be returned to Africa. John Quincy Adams represented them in court.

During the court case the Spanish tried to lie and say the slaves were born in Cuba (Part of Spain and making them Spanish citizens.) Some people tried to argue that if they were Spanish citizens they should be charged with mutiny. Others argued that as slavery was abolished in New York that the slaves should be arrested for importing themselves into the state.

Judge Said:

“When the Amistad arrived, she was in possession of the negroes, asserting their freedom; and in no sense could they possibly intend to import themselves here, as slaves, or for sale as slaves. In this view of the matter, that part of the decree of the district court is unmaintainable, and must be reversed.

The view which has been thus taken of this case, upon the merits, under the first point, renders it wholly unnecessary for us to give any opinion upon the other point, as to the right of the United States to intervene in this case in the manner already stated. We dismiss this, therefore, as well as several minor points made at the argument....

Upon the whole, our opinion is, that the decree of the circuit court, affirming that of the district court, ought to be affirmed, except so far as it directs the negroes to be delivered to the president, to be transported to Africa, in pursuance of the act of the 3rd of March 1819; and as to this, it ought to be reversed: and that the said negroes be declared to be free, and be dismissed from the custody of the court, and go without delay.”

The Africans greeted the news of the Supreme Court's decision with joy. Abolitionist supporters took the survivors – 36 men and boys and three girls – to Farmington, a village considered "Grand Central Station" on the Underground Railroad. Their residents had agreed to have the Africans stay there until they could return to their homeland. Some households took them in; supporters also provided barracks for them. Along with several missionaries, in 1842 the surviving 35 Africans returned to Sierra Leone, the other having died at sea or while awaiting trial.

Supported by the Bible

Many American Christians believed that slavery was moral and permissible. In this belief it was told that the black people were the cursed people of Ham, the son of Noah. Noah and God had cursed Ham for disrespecting his father and Christians believed that from his line came the black people of Africa. Also, Leviticus 25:44, God says, "Your male and Female Slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves." Therefore they believed that slavery was the black mans right and natural place.

The slavery was argued from the beginning of the countries independence. Vermont actually outlawed slavery in 1778, prior to gaining statehood in 1791. Quakers, abolitionists and people with strong European connections wanted an end to slavery. France, America's earliest ally outlawed slavery in 1794. 

However, southern states relied on slave labor for their economy. Without slaves, plantation owners would have to pay workers and that would mean an increase in prices for those goods. 60% of south Carolina were slaves in 1860.

James Jackson, governor of Georgia argued that the bible gave them moral authority. In addition, slavery was something practised in parts of Africa and the slaves had it better in America.