By Matthew Figueroa
On August 24, 1839, nearly two centuries ago, the Spanish schooner La Amistad was seized off the coast of Montauk by American sailors. What began as a brutal act of enslavement on the coast of Sierra Leone ended as one of the most defining freedom cases in United States history. The events that followed connected Long Island’s shoreline to a global story of resistance and justice.
Kidnapped Across the Atlantic
In early 1839, Portuguese slave traders abducted dozens of men, women, and children from the coast of what is now Sierra Leone. The victims were members of the Mende people, known for their rich culture and strength.
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The Portuguese slave ship Tecora carried the captives illegally across the Atlantic to Cuba, despite international treaties banning the slave trade.
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Two Cuban plantation owners, Don Pedro Montes and Don José Ruiz, bought 53 of the captives to work on sugar plantations known for their grueling 18 to 20 hour workdays.
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The enslavers falsified documents to claim the Africans had been born in Spanish colonies, concealing their crime under a thin veil of legality.
La Amistad Sets Sail and Revolt at Sea
The captives were transferred to the smaller schooner La Amistad for transport across Cuba. Three days into the voyage, on July 2, 1839, a man named Sengbe Pieh, known in America as Joseph Cinqué, freed himself from his chains. Using his wits and courage, he helped his fellow Mende break free and led a mutiny that would become legend.
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The Mende killed the captain and cook but spared Montes and Ruiz, ordering them to sail east toward Africa.
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At night, the Spaniards secretly steered north instead, navigating up the American coastline.
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After two months adrift, the ship reached the waters off Montauk Point.
Arrival at Montauk
In late August 1839, La Amistad anchored off Culloden Point in Montauk. A small landing party rowed ashore to find food and water. What they found instead was capture.
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The United States Navy brig Washington seized La Amistad and arrested everyone on board.
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The Mende captives were taken to Connecticut, where slavery remained legal, complicating their fate.
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Montes and Ruiz claimed ownership of the Africans, who were charged with mutiny and murder.
As later chronicled by historians, the rebellion aboard La Amistad remains the only successful uprising by enslaved Africans in the northeastern United States.
A High-Stakes Trial
The Amistad case quickly became a national crisis. Spain demanded the Africans be returned as property. The U.S. government, led by President Martin Van Buren, appealed lower court rulings that had recognized the Mende as free people.
Even the Washington’s sailors filed claims, arguing they deserved compensation for salvaging the ship. The legal wrangling stretched from Connecticut courts to the United States Supreme Court.
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Former President John Quincy Adams, then 73 years old, joined the defense.
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His eight-hour argument reframed the case as a moral test of the nation’s values and a question of natural rights.
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In 1841, the Supreme Court ruled that the Africans were never slaves and had every right to fight for their freedom.
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The decision freed the Mende, and in 1842, 35 survivors returned home to Sierra Leone with the help of American abolitionists.
A Legacy of Freedom
The Amistad story became a symbol of human rights and justice, inspiring generations of abolitionists and reformers. It was later retold in Steven Spielberg’s 1997 film “Amistad,” which brought renewed attention to Cinqué’s bravery and the Long Island connection.
For many, the court’s decision represented an early victory in the long battle against slavery and a defining moment for American democracy.
Long Island Connection to La Amistad
Montauk’s role in this history has grown increasingly recognized. In 2023, the Eastville Community Historical Society, Montauk Historical Society, and Southampton African American Museum unveiled a New York State historical marker at Culloden Point, near the site where La Amistad anchored.
The marker, funded by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, was dedicated with a ceremony that included a Ring Shout Dance, libations, and a community singing of “Amazing Grace.”
Dr. Georgette Grier-Key of the Eastville Community Historical Society, Brenda Simmons of the Southampton African American Museum, and Mia Certic of the Montauk Historical Society led the event, calling Culloden Point “sacred ground.”
La Amistad Replica Docks in Montauk in 2024
In August 2024, history physically returned to Montauk. The Connecticut-based replica of La Amistad arrived for the first time, anchoring at Culloden Point before docking at Star Island.
The ship hosted family events, public tours, and a professional development day for teachers to help them teach the difficult history of slavery and resistance. Organizers held a panel discussion at the Oceans Institute at the Montauk Point Lighthouse to discuss how the story continues to shape education and remembrance.
Amistad Day: A New Tradition
The following year, in 2025, the East Hampton Town Board voted unanimously to designate August 26 as Amistad Day, officially honoring the arrival of the schooner at Montauk in 1839.
Town officials described the date as a time to reflect, educate, and celebrate the courage of those aboard the Amistad. The resolution emphasized that Montauk, and specifically Culloden Point, holds a unique place in American history.
From that year forward, Amistad Day will be marked annually as a day of remembrance and education across the Town of East Hampton.
The Continuing Story of La Amistad
Today, Montauk’s connection to La Amistad stands as both a historical lesson and a call to conscience. Local historians, teachers, and community leaders are ensuring that this chapter is no longer forgotten.
The sands of Culloden Point are not only scenic but sacred, reminding us that the struggle for freedom once landed right here on Long Island.
Matthew Figueroa is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media.
Photo: La_Amistad_(ship).jpg: Unknown authorUnknown authorderivative work: TheCuriousGnome, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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