Timeline: Legal Path of the Amistad Case: 1839-1845

The Amistad case is an example of a very complex legal issue passing through the equally complex 19th century legal system. Oftentimes, even the simplest action needs some additional explanation to be understood in its specific context. This timeline is the easiest way to follow the case as it worked its way to the Supreme Court, but it only represents the basics. The links, which connect to everything from primary sources to explanations of legal terms, will bring you to the specifics and help you understand the nitty-gritty of the legal process. There is much more to this case than the Supreme Court decision in 1841. The Amistad's journey through the American legal system begins a year and a half earlier in the summer of....

1839

August 29th: United States District Court Judge Andrew T. Judson conducts an inquiry on board the Washington, where it is docked in New London. After hearing the testimonies of Jose Ruiz, Pedro Montez, and Antonio (a slave owned by the late Captain Ramon Ferrer), and examining the papers of Ruiz and Montez as well as the Amistad he orders the case to the Circuit Court during its next sitting in September. In the meantime, he orders the Africans taken to the New Haven jail.

Lieutenant Gedney proceeds to file his libel for salvage.

September 19th: United States Circuit Court convenes in Hartford with Associate Justice Smith Thompson presiding -- A grand jury is charged to decide whether to indict the Africans for piracy and murder. Arguments begin involving a writ of habeas corpus regarding the imprisonment of the three little African girls and boy.

United States District Court convenes in Hartford with Judge Andrew T. Judson presiding -- In response to Lieutenant Gedney's salvage libel, all other parties concerned with the Amistad affair file their claims and libels for consideration by the District Court. Henry Green and others file a claim for salvage; Jose Ruiz files, both, a claim to a portion of the cargo (including the Africans) and a libel; Pedro Montez files, both, a claim to a portion of the cargo (including the Africans) and a libel; and the United States files a libel on behalf of Spain. The court is adjourned until November 19th.

September 23rd: United States Circuit Court -- Associate Justice Thompson dismisses the grand jury, declaring the Africans cannot be indicted for piracy and murder in the United States. He also denies the writ of habeas corpus for the three little girls and boy.

November 19th: United States District Court reconvenes in Hartford-- The United States files a separate libel and claim on behalf of Spain; Antonio Vega, Vice Consul of Spain, files a claim for the Creole Antonio on behalf of the heirs of Raymon Ferrer; and the Africans file their plea in abatement.

The trial now begins. The Africans' counsel initially argues the issue of a plea in abatement. Henry Green testifies for the defense, and Lieutenant Richard W. Meade, an officer aboard the Washington, testifies against Green for the prosecution. As the day moves on the second key issue of the Africans' status as free individuals or property begins to be addressed. In an agreement between the defense and the prosecution, the proceedings are adjourned until January 7th, 1840.

November 20th: Robert Madden, as he has to return to Great Britain before January 7th, is deposed so that his testimony can be heard when the District Court reconvenes. Somehow his damning testimony regarding the Cuban slave trade is published in the press, and adds to the seething popular passions of an increasingly interested public.

1840

January 7th: United States District Court reconvenes in New Haven -- The Africans' withdraw their previous plea in abatement and file a new claim for their freedom, which tells their stories of having been illegally forced out of their native Africa and into slavery. Jose Antonio Tellincas and the house of Aspa & Laca file their claim for a portion of the cargo on board the Amistad.

There is some further debate on the defense's plea in abatement and a general restatement of arguments from November 19th. James Covey testifies that the Africans are clearly recently imported from their native land of Africa.

January 8th: Professor Josiah Gibbs testifies to the Africans' linguistic capabilities and how such evidence proves the Africans' are native to Africa. Cinque, Grabeau, and Fuliwa all testify on their behalf with James Covey interpreting

January 9th: Antonio testifies, and much of his testimony claims the Africans were treated well in an attempt to offset the testimony of Cinque, etc. who said they were treated harshly.

January 13th: Judge Judson announces his decision. He denies the defense's plea in abatement saying the Court does have jurisdiction because the Amistad was on the "high seas". He denies Henry Green's libel for salvage, but sustains Lt. Thomas Gedney's libel as it pertains to everything but the Africans. He sustains Antonio Vega's claim for the Creole Antonio, as well as Jose Antonio Tellincas and the house of Aspa & Laca's claim. Finally, he finds that the Africans are indeed bozales and illegally taken from their native Africa as slaves, thus denying the claims of Jose Ruiz, Pedro Montez, and the United States on behalf of Spain. He orders the Africans released to the President of the United States to be returned by him to Africa under a congressional act of March 3, 1819. For an official list of all the points of Judson's decision, including all other legal documents filed during the trial (claims, libels, etc.), see the "final records" of the District Court.

The United States immediately files an appeal of the District Court decision to the United States Circuit Court. Jose Antonio Tellincas and the house of Aspa & Laca also file an appeal regarding Lt. Gedney's salvage claim on their material cargo. The cases will be heard during the April term of that tribunal.

April term of the United States Circuit Court:

Early in the April term of the Circuit Court, the defense for the Africans files a motion for the dismissal of the United States' appeal.

April 29th: United States Circuit Court convenes in Hartford Associate Justice Smith Thompson presiding -- Justice Thompson opens the Circuit Court proceedings and, within matter of couple of days, denies the Africans' motion for a dismissal of the appeal and subsequently affirms the District Court's decision by a pro forma decree. The appeal of Tellincas and the house of Aspa & Laca is not decided upon, but reserved for the Supreme Court.

The United States immediately files an appeal of the Circuit Court decision to the United States Supreme Court. The case will be heard during the January 1841 term of that tribunal.

September 17th: W.S. Holabird, the United States Distract Attorney, files a petition in the Circuit Court noting the poor condition of the Amistad as well as the perishable quality of her cargo. He asks that both the vessel and the goods be sold. The Court agrees, and decrees that the vessel and all of the cargo be sold at a public auction in New London, Connecticut on October 15th, 1840.

October 15th: The Amistad is sold for $245, and the goods are sold for $6,196.14. The proceeds of this sale, however, are retained by Charles Ingersoll, the clerk of the Circuit Court, to await the Supreme Court's decision on Aspa & Laca's appeal and Gedney's salvage claim.

1841

January term of the United States Supreme Court:

February 22: United States Supreme Court convenes in Washington D.C. and begins hearing the Amistad case. Attorney General Henry D. Gilpin opens the trial with the position of the United States, and is followed by RogerBaldwin and his argument for the Africans.

February 23: The Supreme Court proceedings continue. Baldwin concludes his arguments.

February 24: John Quincy Adams begins presenting his argument.

March 1: Adams continues with his argument after a delay in the proceedings on account of Justice Barbour's death

March 2: Attorney General Henry D. Gilpin concludes arguments for the United States

March 9: Justice Story delivers the decision of the Supreme Court. The Court finds an error in the Circuit Court's affirmation of the District Court's decree, noting that the congressional act of March 3, 1819 does not apply in this case. They render a new decision which proclaims the Africans unequivocally free and upholds Lt. Gedney's salvage claim on all material cargo, including that of Jose Antonio Tellincas and the house of Aspa & Laca.

April term of the United States Circuit Court:

United States Circuit Court convenes in New Haven with Associate Justice Thompson presiding -- After nearly two years, the Amistad case ends its journey through the American legal system exactly where it started. It began as a property issue, and its final legacy in the written records of the American courts is a recap of where the public auction's earnings went. Lt. Gedney receives salvage rewards on everything sold at a rate of 1/3 of the total. Jose Ruiz and Pedro Montez, after court fees, taxes, and salvage, do not receive any payment. The house of Aspa & Laca is awarded $577.21, and Jose Antonio Tellincas receives $313.38. The Court retains $972.04, for which there was no claimant, and holds it subject to any future action by the Court.

1845

April term of the United States Circuit Court:

United States Circuit Court with Associate Justice Samuel Nelson presiding -- Ariosa & Company, merchants from Havana, file a petition on behalf of Ramon Bermejo asking for a portion of the unclaimed sum retained by the Court. A merchant like Jose Antonio Tellincas, Bermejo was hoping to gain some monetary compensation for his merchandise shipped, and lost, aboard the Amistad nearly six years prior. The Court awards him $631.