Amistad

uae McCoy-Lewis

History Sec. 301

Movie: Amistad

In the movie Amistad there were many different arguments about slavery. The crew members trick the Africans into believing they are sailing home, while going no further than the eastern seaboard of the U.S. After two months of sailing a haphazard course, and also low on food and water, they are captured by a U.S. Navy ship near Connecticut. Now the Africans must cope with the U.S. legal system which generally regards blacks as property. But if they can somehow prove they are from Africa and were stolen into slavery, they might have a chance for freedom, since the African slave trade has been outlawed by this time.

In The life of Olaudah Equiano, Olaudah was sold on a slave ship that came to the Barbados. Olaudah worked for his freedom, and in the end became efficient in American language. He worked his way to the free life and in the end it worked out for him. In Amistad, Cinque is a slave that leads a revolt on a slave ship after escaping. When they get to America, Baldwin, a lawyer that is representing the slave and the former president Adams helps free the slaves.

The movie Amistad, and The Life of Olaudah Equiano both deal with experiences of important historical background. Both take us through a period in history where slavery was not accepted, and also it was a big part of everyday life in each story. The slaves were treated in such similar ways that it is