The Historic Amistad Schooner Docked in the Port of Santo Domingo

The Historic Amistad Schooner Docked in the Port of Santo Domingo

The Amistad Schooner, a symbol of the struggle to abolish slavery in America,  arrived to the port of Santo Domingo as part of its educational and cultural tour in the Caribbean region where it will raise consciousness about a relevant moment in history when African slaves being transported to America rose up to claim their human rights.

In 1839, the slaves aboard the Amistad revolted to secure their freedom while being transported from one Cuban port to another.

In 1839, the slaves aboard the Amistad revolted to secure their freedom while being transported from one Cuban port to another. Several crew members were killed in the revolt but the Africans kept others alive in the hope of getting them to sail the schooner back to Africa. However, the crew managed to steer the ship closer to the East Coast of the United States where it finally docked in New York. All aboard were arrested; the slaves were held for murder and the crew was accused of illegally transporting slaves.

The abolitionist movement in New York followed the case very closely and managed, in 1940, to get the US Federal Court to rule in favor of the Africans and they were returned to their country of origin. At that time in the United States, a black person could only be considered a slave if his/her parents were slaves. The importation of slaves from Africa was outlawed in the US in 1808.

The Amistad was received by a committee from the Tourism Ministry headed by Deputy Minister Luis Simó who related the dramatic history of the ship. Also in attendance was Robin Busse, cultural attaché from the US Embassy and Joaquín Méndez, of the Cross Culture Center which was formerly in charge of the ship’s management. 

Throughout its stay in Santo Domingo, the Amistad will be open to the general public on March 7. On March 8-9, students will be brought on board to learn about the ship’s history. There will be a showing of Steven Spielberg’s 1997 film “Amistad” which is about the history of the boat and the uprising.

Luis Simó, Deputy Minister of Tourism for International Affairs speaking during the welcoming of the Amistad Schooner.

The Amistad Schooner in the Port of Santo Domingo.