Amistad (ship)

The Amistad was a Spanish schooner famously involved in a 1839 rebellion off the coast of Cuba. Enslaved Africans aboard initially intended to sail back to Africa but were forcibly taken to the U.S., where they revolted to regain their freedom. The ship was captured, leading to a landmark legal case that debated the legality of slavery and the rights of the enslaved. The court ultimately recognized the Africans' right to fight for their liberty, and many were eventually freed. The Amistad case became a symbol of resistance against slavery and contributed to the abolition movement in the United States.