Table of contents
1 Background Info
2 Plot Summary
3 Cast
4 See Also

Background Info

Plot Summary

The movie starts out with Cinqué, an African on the slave trader ship La Amistad, getting himself and the other Africans free and killing most of the crew. They force the ship's captain to steer back to Africa, but the captain tricks them and heads back to shore where the Africans are captured and jailed.

Immediately, word gets to President Martin Van Buren, the Queen of Spain, and a group of abolitionists. The group of Africans is charged with mutiny and murder. There are also property claims by the Queen of Spain, the captain of the ship, the people who captured the Africans, and others. A young lawyer, Baldwin, is brought on the case by the abolitionists.

Baldwin finds a translator and talks to Cinqué, who has become the leader of the group of Africans. In flashbacks, Cinqué tells about his life. He was captured in Africa and brought to the Caribbean Islands by an infamous Middle Passage slave vessel. Cinqué tells of the various horrors of the Middle Passage, such as when fifty people were drowned to save on rations. Cinqué was finally taken to the Caribbean Islands, where he was illegally sold to the owners of La Amistad.

In the district court, Baldwin brings as evidence a book he found on La Amistad. It conclusively proves that the Africans did indeed come from Africa. US law at the time outlawed anyone who wasn't the child of a slave from being a slave, therefore outlawing the slave trade. This meant that they were being traded illegally, and were officially abducted citizens of West Africa. President Van Buren, under pressure from the South, then replaced the judge with a younger judge who Van Buren could control. However, the new judge also ruled in favor of the Africans.

The prosecution then appeals the case to the Supreme Court, where 7 of the 9 justices are slave owners. Baldwin finally convinces John Quincy Adams to help Baldwin on the case. After some communication with Cinqué, Baldwin and Adams are ready to present the case. Baldwin making the case to the Supreme Court isn't shown. John Quincy Adams then gives a speech on slavery and the case in general. The Supreme Court then rules in favor of the Amistad Africans.

The end of the movie notes that Cinqué returned to Africa, the slave fortress he went through gets destroyed by the British navy, and the Civil War was fought over many issues, slavery among them.

Cast

Cinqué
Djimon Hounsou
Baldwin ? Lawyer
Matthew McConaughey
John Quincy Adams
Anthony Hopkins
Joadson
Morgan Freeman
President Martin Van Buren
Nigel Hawthorne

See Also