Colegio Terranova Language “B” Story telling the events occurring on the “Amistad” ship José Antonio Rosales 1st Diploma “A” 24/04/12 Shock in the Atlantic On the warm atmosphere of the Caribbean seas, the Spanish ship known as Amistad was found drifting en route of the sun set's direction. A closer approach to the ship, revealed many surprises to the American authorities patrolling the area. An estimate of 55 black slaves and 3 slave traders were found alive in the interior of the ship. Preliminary research revealed that a battle for possession of the ship took place around 30 days earlier. From what the American sailors could see, the slaves freed themselves, took the machetes found on the cargo of the ship, and rioted and many of slave traders on-board where assassinated.
Amistad “Amistad”, a drama movie directed by Steven Spielberg, is about slavery issues during 1839 in the United States. This movie vividly illustrates America’s way of governing, its interactions between Spaniards and British officials, and most importantly, U.S. legal system during Martin Van Buren presidency, a slavery supporter. The movie is about captured Africans from Sierra Leone who are tricked by two surviving crew members Ruiz and Montez by sailing to the United States instead of sailing “home” to Africa, after the Africans take over the slave-ship “La Amistad”. As we know in 1839 the slavery is not abolished yet in the United States: blacks are seen as property, yet the African slave trade is considered illegal by this time. Hence, if the Africans could prove they are stolen into slavery, that is if they are from Africa, they have a chance to be free.
From West Africa slavers (slave ships) would then carry slaves across the Atlantic to the Americas to a port such as Bridgetown in Barbados or Kingston (Jamaica). The slaves would then be exchanged for sugar, rum, molasses, logwood or mahogany. These tropical products would then be taken back to the port of the departure in Europe. Slave Raids There were 3 ways in which slaves were obtain from West African Societies: 1) Europeans negotiated with raiding parties to obtain slaves in exchange for muskets, huts, pans and mirrors etc. 2) Europeans negotiated with tribal kings who traded captures enemies for muskets, pots etc.
The Spanish naval fleet before being called “the invincible armada” was first used as protection for King Phillip II’s treasure that he was transporting from the Spanish colonies (The Treasure Fleets of the Spanish Main” pg 33- Robert Marx). He was brilliant when it came to his navy. The system that he created was called “flotas”, in each flota there were at least two galleons that were 400 tons and carried at least 10 or 12 cannons, and with the galleons sailed smaller ships called Pinks, Fly boats, Tartans, Sloops, and Pinnacles (The Treasure Fleets of the Spanish Main” pg 33- Robert Marx). These ships were called patches, which were mostly used as dispatch boats (The Treasure Fleets of the Spanish Main” pg 34- Robert Marx). Averia was the tax that King Phillip II passed in order to protect his treasure fleets from pirates and other countries that he had conflict with (The Treasure Fleets of the Spanish Main” pg 34- Robert Marx).
He was then sold to a captain in London, who sold him to a rich merchant in the Caribbean. In the Caribbean he worked in plantations where he was treated like other slaves were treated, even after being educated. He saw other slaves being tortured by his master- with iron muzzles (a machine that stops you from eating drinking and speaking), some slaves were also raped. Because his first master educated him he was able to save money and buy his freedom with that. We can also tell this by Ellen Craft.
Why was the slave trade abolished in 1807? The Slave Trade, also commonly referred to as The Triangular Trade, was a process in which black slaves from Africa were forced onto slave ships and transported across the Atlantic Ocean, this continued for approximately 300 years. The first European nation to engage in the Transatlantic Slave Trade was Portugal in the mid to late 1400's. Slave ships from Britain left ports like London, Liverpool and Bristol for West Africa carrying goods such as cloth, guns, ironware and drink that had been made in Britain. Later, on the West African coast, these goods would be traded for men, women and children who had been captured by slave traders or bought from African chiefs.
Also, the Europeans developed benevolent treatment towards slaves to prolong their health and ensure their survival in order to increase margins of profit. The African slave trade began in 1444 when the first successful shipment of slaves was transported from West Africa to Portugal. The beginning of the slave trade proved to be uncivilized and inefficient. The Portuguese captains evoked nothing but fear upon their arrival, and barbarically “killed and seized as many as they could.” (Document 1, pg 7) To avoid being captured, some Africans resorted to suicide by drowning themselves in the water. The Portuguese had captured 165 Africans, including women and children.
American Holocaust: Columbus and the Conquest of the New World The inhumane and sadistic behavior of Columbus’ men was influenced by both the inherent violence in European society of their time and the opportunity to subject a race of people they thought to be inferior to their control. During Columbus’ lifetime Europe was governed by fanatical religious Christians and greedy rulers who’s main concern was to acquire as much gold and wealth as possible. Slave trade was a popular business at this time. Men, women, and children were captured during raids on tribes throughout Africa and forced into slavery. The Spanish Inquisition occurred at this time as well, in which people that didn’t convert to Catholicism were tortured and killed or put into slavery.
Also, he suggests that they fortify existing or erect new forts, castles and settlements along the African coasts. The reason he is asking this (on behalf of the merchants from Liverpool, Bristol and London, as he mentions several times), is the importance of the African slave trade to the American colonies and sugar plantations. Already in the first paragraph he starts by saying that he shall take it for granted that it is well-known that “the Well-being and Prosperity of our American Colonies depends upon the Supply of Slaves from the Coast of Africa; and that some of the most valuable Branches of the Slave-Trade will be absolutely lost, without an immediate Supply, and
The ships could yet return to England. The Negro slave trade became one of the most important business enterprises of the seventeenth century. The monopoly of the French slave trade was at the first assigned to the French West India Company in 1664, but yet they transferred in 1673, to the Senegal Company. The Monopoly of the Dutch Slave trade was given to the Dutch West India Company, incorporated in 1621. In the early as the 15 century, England passed from raising sheep and producing wool, an agricultural activity, to manufacturing cloth.