by: Rishab Soman - 9-2 US I
Significance in US History : The Amistad Mutiny
The mutiny on Amistad may as well be considered tantamount to the equivalence of stepping stones of abolsihing slavery. As for US History, it serves as a way to preach the moral values and humanity of any individual, no matter their skin color of ethnic background. It was a significant step in the right direction towards mankind in general, not just subject to the United States. At the time of action, slavery in the United States (as well as many other countries) was legal. And it was to people like John Quincy Adams, supporting the Abolitionist movement, who make the situation more prevalent a cause as a result. The Amistad case sparked the revival of interest in the ideology of "all humans are born equal."
In fact, a primary source documentation of the event from the perspective of the Chief Justice goes as follows: “And he makes the argument in the court case that we have the Declaration of Independence right there on that wall and that says that life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness… It doesn’t say for white people only, or anything like that. He was arguing, trying to argue, that it’s something that’s available for everyone, it’s part of the justice system.” As shown by a fragment of transcripted documentation, the revival of the Declaration of Independence was brought about and that made many individuals question the fundamental rights of the Amistad disaster before them. Consequently, the revival of the Declaration also served as proof that this significant event influenced the natural course of progression of women's rights which will be further discussed in the next segment.
The true essence of this event is that it converted the definition of slavery. It went from slaves being meager entities of property to them connecting to all humans on an emotional level and made the concept widespread as a political issue in the United States.
What was the stage of the US after the Amistad mutiny?
The entire motion set into action by the event of the Amistad chaos was incredible because many submovements were formed. The division between African Americans and Americans was becoming less substantial by the day and that by far was one of the most prevalent effects. After the captured Amsitad were sent back to their home country, America pressed the matter of rights because it was particularly unusual for the court to side with the African Americans in this time period. And as such, black abolitionists wanted to make the most out of this brilliant outcome and likewise, convince American activists to alter their mindset. However, this revival died down a bit because slaves were still being treated the same and no breakthrough was perceived. But at the same time, that necessarily doesn't mean that changes for the better occurred. For instance, Howard Jones, history professor at the University of Virginia, said that this was a prominent step forward for African Americans. The abolitionists gained a sense of hope and inspiration that powered them, according to Jones.
"And the abolitionists immediately printed pamphlets, leaflets, had talks, everything they could to show that these people went free, and their implication was, this is what’s going to happen to slavery itself. That this is a great victory for the black man," preached Howard Jones. Yet, amidst all of the talking done of the verdict, no fundamental changes really occurred. The sad reality was that slave trades were still occurring, and racial segregation was ongoing. Although not much occured in this period as far as the advancement of rights for slaves were concerned, the growing inspiration by the abolitionists through the spread of pamphlets, and leaflets, were slowly but surely gaining recognition. In that sense, Howard Jones was indeed accurate. Perhaps, this was a turning point in favor of racial equality in the United States. Without this jump start, the issue might've not been considered a "violation of human rights" but rather a "common norm". That may've caused the United States to still have slaves present around today, which we now are taught better to understand the cruel nature of the bitter concept of slavery. The Amistad most definitely contributed to slave uprisings in the US.
The pictures above are symbolic of the prevalence of pamphlets, leaflets, and other ways of spreading the information that the abolitionists want the public to see and accept. These were brought about by the Amistad Mutiny and serve as a reminder of the inspired abolitionists that have shaped the future of the US.