United States v. The Amistad

E675271

United States v. The Amistad is an 1841 U.S. Supreme Court case that ruled in favor of African captives who had revolted aboard the Spanish schooner La Amistad, recognizing their right to fight for their freedom.

All labels observed (7)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf U.S. Supreme Court case
landmark decision
legal case
appealedFrom United States Circuit Court for the District of Connecticut
chiefJustice Roger B. Taney
linked to: Roger Brooke Taney
citation 40 U.S. (15 Pet.) 518
concernsEvent 1839 revolt aboard the schooner La Amistad
country United States
courtTerm January Term 1841
decisionDate 1841-03-09
fullCaseName The United States, Appellants, v. The Libellants and Claimants of the Schooner Amistad
hasDepictionIn 1997 film "Amistad"
linked to: Amistad
hasJurisdiction Supreme Court of the United States
holding African captives aboard La Amistad were illegally enslaved
African captives had the right to use force to secure their freedom
Africans were not property under U.S. law in this case
Africans were to be freed and allowed to return to Africa
impact limited recognition of foreign claims to enslaved persons in U.S. courts
strengthened legal arguments of American abolitionists
involvesParty African captives from Sierra Leone
Spanish claimants
United States
involvesVessel La Amistad
linked to: Amistad
languageOfOpinion English
legalIssue international law
maritime law
property rights in persons
slavery
treaty interpretation
locationOfLowerCourtProceedings New Haven, Connecticut
majorityOpinionBy Joseph Story
originatingCourt United States District Court for the District of Connecticut
recognizedRight right of illegally enslaved persons to resist captivity
recognizedStatus Africans as free individuals under the circumstances of the case
relatedTo Sierra Leone
abolitionist movement in the United States
transatlantic slave trade
result freedom for the Amistad Africans
setIn 19th century
shortName The Amistad case
subjectMatter ownership of the schooner La Amistad and its cargo
status of Africans captured at sea
timePeriod antebellum United States
treatyCited Adams–Onís Treaty
Anglo-Spanish treaties on the slave trade
yearDecided 1841

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (10)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Amistad historicalEventDepicted United States v. The Amistad
Joseph Story notableWork United States v. The Amistad
Lewis Tappan participantIn Amistad case
linked to: United States v. The Amistad
Roger Sherman Baldwin participatedIn Amistad case
linked to: United States v. The Amistad
Cinqué (Amistad) legalCaseDepicted United States v. The Amistad
subject linked to: Cinqué in Amistad
Cinqué (Amistad) associatedWithShip La Amistad mutiny
subject linked to: Cinqué in Amistad
linked to: United States v. The Amistad
Cinqué eventParticipatedIn Amistad slave ship revolt
linked to: United States v. The Amistad
Cinqué eventParticipatedIn United States v. The Amistad legal case
linked to: United States v. The Amistad
United States v. The Amistad fullCaseName The United States, Appellants, v. The Libellants and Claimants of the Schooner Amistad
linked to: United States v. The Amistad
United States v. The Amistad shortName The Amistad case
linked to: United States v. The Amistad