The Amistad Rebellion

An Atlantic odyssey of slavery and freedom

Marcus Rediker, Verso, 304 pages, hardback, £15

This book looks at the inspiring rebellion on board the slave ship Amistad. It is the fascinating story of how one group of slaves rose up, killed their captors and attempted to make it back to their homes in Africa. During their rebellion, the slaves didn’t indiscriminately kill their former captors. They killed those who had brutalised, taunted and tortured them. The other traders feared for their lives but were treated with humanity.

The Amistad eventually arrived in North America, where a long period of imprisonment and trial began. The trial brought up many questions — of property, slavery and freedoms. The struggle of the Africans now meshed with that of the abolitionist movement which saw an opportunity to strengthen the struggle against slavery.

While many of the Amistad Africans made it back, some died during the passage across the Atlantic and some were sold into slavery in Cuba. Others died in the rebellion or in jail in the United States.

Those that made it home did so because they were prepared to risk their lives for freedom.

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