Essays on Amistad

____(3) 1.  Select which category [in parentheses] this documentary fits into and explain why you think it best fits that classification. (awareness/social concerns, biography, research/informative, investigative) This documentary fits best into the category of awareness/social concerns because the slave trade was a terrible event that more people need to be aware about because it destroyed the lives of many African families for at least 400 years. ____(3) 2. Discuss at least three major themes within this documentary, using examples from the film to support your choice. Your discussion should consist of a paragraph for each theme and ...

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Introduction Slavery is an age-old practice that has existed in many forms among different human societies. In fact, as early as 3,000 to 2,000 B.C., in the primeval civilization of Mesopotamia, slavery, in its various forms has already been observed (Perbi 1). For many years, the institution of slavery has existed in many places around the globe, but it made the biggest impression in the continent of Africa where slavery took its greatest toll. Intertwined with the African slave trade is the huge demand for slave labor in the European colonies, specifically the large plantations ...

In American history, the middle passage refers to a voyage that took place in period between 1600 and 1800 when slave trade dominated the economic activities along the Pacific Ocean. It was termed as the middle passage because it was the second leg of a voyage which took place in three phases that begun and ended in Europe. The first passage entailed a voyage carrying cargo such as iron, fire arms, brandy and gunpowder which was taken to the African slave coasts. The cargo was traded for Africans. Departure from the African slave coasts marked the beginning of the middle passage from ...

Robert Hayden is considered to be one of the greatest African-American poets of the 20th century; writing many poems about the black experience, both contemporary and historical, Hayden also managed to tackle universal themes of loneliness, desperation, parental approval and freedom. Hayden’s work was deeply rooted in the plight of African-Americans, many poems dealing directly with the anxieties and tensions that existed for minorities even during his time. Living through segregation-era America and the Civil Rights Movement, Hayden’s work becomes seemingly synonymous with the struggles of black people to have a voice in culture and art. In ...

Both the enslaved and freed black people did everything within their powers to resist slavery. There are various ways through which they did this for instance running away, fighting within the plantations to get their freedom, pretended not to understand what their owners said and even going on go slows. These among many other means of fighting for their freedom were the ways they used in order to attain their freedom. The reasons behind the fight for freedom were pointing towards the unfair ways in which the black population was subjected to. They were the people who were ...

This 1997 film was based on the true story of the slave ship Amistad that was captured off the cost of Cuba in 1839 after a rebellion by the Africans, who attempted to sail it back home. Instead, they were tricked by the surviving Spanish crew members and the ship ended up being captured off the coast of New York. After a lengthy legal battle that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, the fifty-four slaves were freed and returned to Africa in 1842. Since the U.S. had banned the slave trade in 1808, even though it continued covertly, ...