A short time later, a U.S. Navy ship, the USS Washington, appeared and seized the Amistad and all of the slaves aboard the ship, to include men, women, and children. The slaves and the Spanish captures were taken to New London, Connecticut, a state where slavery was legal but the sale of slaves were illegal.
On August 29, the Court case began in New London, Connecticut; Spanish planters, and several other claimants argued over who could claim the slaves and the ship belong, and how to divvy it up.
The federal court case ended becoming an explosive national debate for the abolitionists’ verses the salve trade that would questions the legal foundations of slavery, and transform America’s court system. Ultimately the trial …show more content…
It also increased the number of people that opposed slavery in the U.S, inspired African American slaves to want freedom, and more importantly, inspiring antislavery movement in pre-Civil War Era. In the end, it was ruled that the slaves were obtained illegally and should be freed, because they knew if the slaves were to return to Cuba they would be executed. They went back to Africa and the one slave Antonio that did belong to the Spanish managed to