What an enlightening film by Steven Spielberg! The film, La Amistad, was based on historical events. Black West Africans were captured and sold into slavery. They were put on a boat called Tecora and later transferred to the clipper called La Amistad. Spielberg did an excellent job of accurately recreating the events leading up to the historic court hearings of the imprisoned blacks. Hearings have begun at the state level. Then it was taken to the Supreme Court. Questions about slavery, equality, and freedom arose during the Amistad case. This case not only served as a milestone for the abolitionist movement, but also called into question the writings of the Declaration of Independence. Where all men are created equal, as the Constitution states? Throughout the film, Spielberg uses flashbacks to tell the story of one of the characters called Joseph Cinque. These flashbacks showed how he was captured. Blacks from other tribes kidnapped him and handed him over to Portuguese slave hunters. In exchange, these blacks received weapons and other goods. The next flashback Joseph had was of his trip to Cuba, which was dangerous. Many blacks died on this journey. Cuba was the first destination for slave hunters. One of the reasons why many blacks died at sea was the gruesome living conditions. They were chained and whipped. At one point in the film, it appeared that members of the Spanish crew were kissing black women, which is sexual harassment. Their living conditions were unsanitary and they received poor meals. If a black person was sick they did not receive food. This historical event parallels another that would emerge later and that event was called the Holocaust. Another thing that struck me was the way in which the Por…… in the middle of the paper…… at the seaside or in prison awaiting trial”. One of the discrepancies in this film was that it seemed like all the black people had come home. The viewer did not have the feeling that at least twenty blacks had died. Selling and buying blacks has been around for at least a thousand years. Starting in the early 15th century, ships began moving millions of black Africans to new lands such as Cuba, the Caribbean, and then to America. The journey across the Atlantic was difficult. Many of them died at sea. Most blacks came from “West Africa” (pathways thinkport). The film, La Amistad, portrays the challenges, fears, and hope that black people faced during this historic event. Work Cited:archives.gov/education/lessons/amistad/imdb.com/title/tt0118607/quotes millercenter.org/president/vanburenhttp://pathways.thinkport.org/about/about4c.cfm