What was the Amistad revolt?
Introduce this Activity by reminding students of the story of the Amistad revolt, which many of them may know from the Steven Spielberg film, Amistad (1997). Ask those who have seen the film to summarize the story, then draw on resources available through EDSITEment to provide a fully accurate account. • A detailed narrative of the Amistad case, which traces events back to the Amistad captives’ life in Africa and includes contextual information about the slave trade, is available at the Exploring Amistad website, along with a timeline of events surrounding the revolt and trial. (At the website’s homepage, click on “Discovery Section” for a summary of the Amistad case with links to the separate chapters of a more detailed narrative. At the homepage, click on “Amistad Timeline” for a chronology of events covering the period from 1839 to 1846, with links to corresponding news reports.) • More background on the Amistad revolt is also available at the National Archives Digital Classroom web
