One hundred sixty years later, the Amistad case has again become part of the national dialogue. A 1997 film by Steven Spielberg tells the story in a very moving way.

Anthony Hopkins, as John Quincy Adams, helps us to understand why the Supreme Court ruled in his favor. Djimon Hounsou (who speaks Mendi) powerfully plays the role of Sengbe ("Joseph Cinque"). Matthew McConaughey, as Roger Sherman Baldwin, reminds us how much good lawyers can do for others. And Morgan Freeman, who plays Theodore Joadson, a fictitious black abolitionist, has some of the best scenes in the movie. (Although Freeman's character was not a part of the actual Amistad story, he signifies the important role African-Americans played as the debate over slavery pushed the country to the edge of war.)

An interesting note about another actor in Spielberg's version of Amistad. Samuel Pieh, the great-great-grandson of Sengbe Pieh, had a part in the movie. He played the part of a wise elder who encourages the others to look to Sengbe as their leader.

A lawsuit against the film initially threatened its release date. Barbara Chase-Riboud, who wrote Echo of Lions, argued that her book was the basis of the film. Spielberg's lawyers argued that the story of the Amistad is part of the history of the United States and no author owns the rights to history. The issues between the author and the film's producers were resolved, and the case was settled on February 9, 1998.

Our national dialogue on "this peculiar institution" (Abraham Lincoln's description of slavery) continues. The Amistad case is only one situation where we can examine what was done to free people in the name of cheap labor. The arguments of John Quincy Adams, and the decision of the Supreme Court, help us to remember the philosophy upon which this country was founded: All people have the right to be free.

As a response to intense public interest in the Amistad case, a replica of the ship is being built at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut. The ship, to be completed in the year 2000, will be used for educational purposes. The keel laying took place on March 8, 1998 - to commemorate the date of the Supreme Court decision (March 9, 1841). To learn more about the scope of the Amistad project, click here.

A timeline of the Amistad story will help you keep all the events in chronological order. If you would like to read about the making of Amistad, the movie, check out this interesting, picture-laden site.

As we conclude our summary of the Amistad case, the words of Sengbe still ring true:

Brothers, I am resolved that it is better to die than be a white man's slave...

Sengbe was one of the fortunate few in this dark period of American history. He never was a slave; he did not die a slave.

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