Mutiny on the Amistad facts for kids
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| Author | Howard Jones |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject | History/U.S. History/African American history |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Published | January 1, 1987 Oxford University Press |
| Media type | paperback |
| Pages | 304 pages |
| ISBN | 0-19-503829-0 |
| OCLC | 20257813 |
Mutiny on the Amistad: The Saga of a Slave Revolt and Its Impact on American Abolition, Law, and Diplomacy is a history book from 1987. It was written by professor Howard Jones. The book tells the true story of a famous slave revolt that happened in 1839. It also explains what happened after the revolt.
The book looks closely at the events aboard a Spanish ship called La Amistad in 1839. People who had been kidnapped from Africa were being held captive on this ship. They bravely fought for their freedom. The ship was later taken by the United States Navy near Long Island, New York. The book describes how different countries, like Spain, England, and the United States, were involved. It shows how these countries dealt with the slave trade in the 1800s. It also explains the important court case, United States v. The Amistad Africans. This case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The court had to decide if the people from the Mende group on the Amistad were free or if they were property.
The Amistad Story in Film
The story from this book became a major movie in 1997. The film, called Amistad, was directed by Steven Spielberg. It shows the events of the revolt and the important Supreme Court case. The movie stars Anthony Hopkins as John Quincy Adams, a former U.S. president. Morgan Freeman plays an American who wanted to end slavery. Djimon Hounsou plays Cinqué, the leader of the captives. Matthew McConaughey plays Roger Sherman Baldwin, the lawyer who helped the Mende people.
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