Joseph Cinqué

Joseph Cinqué was a West African man who led a famous slave revolt aboard the Spanish ship La Amistad in 1839. Enslaved Africans who had been kidnapped and transported across the Atlantic seized the ship, determined to regain their freedom. Cinqué organized the rebellion, inspiring others to resist their oppressors. The U.S. legal battle that followed made Cinqué and other survivors symbols of resistance against slavery. His leadership highlighted the desire for freedom among enslaved people and played a significant role in the abolition movement in the United States.