User:Joseph Cinquez

Joseph Cinquez, leader of the revolt among african slaves on the spanish vessel "Amistad" en route to Cuba in June 1839. After gaining power on the ship, the Africans were later arrested on arrival of the New World and charged on several offences, namely murder and piracy. A white man, John Quincy Adams,defended the accused Africans before the Supreme Court, brilliance in defence, they were set free and allowed to return to Africa. The text quotes Cinquez's sober and moving speech to his comrades on board ship after the mutiny. Cinquez was supposed to have said after being granted his freedom, "Brother's, we have done that which we purposed, our hands are now clean for we have Striven to regain the precious heritage we received from our fathers...I am resolved it is better to die than to be a white man's slave..."