La Amistad (the ship)

La Amistad was a Spanish ship notorious for its role in a slave rebellion in 1839. Enslaved Africans, including a group led by Joseph Cinqué, seized control of the vessel off the coast of Cuba. They aimed to sail back to Africa but were instead captured near Long Island, New York. The legal battle that ensued sparked widespread abolitionist sentiments in the United States, culminating in a landmark Supreme Court case. In 1841, the court ruled in favor of the rebels, allowing them to return to Africa, highlighting issues of human rights and justice during a time of American slavery.