Slave Trial Scene

What does the opening scene tell you about the African slave trade?
What is learned from the opening scene is that the captured slaves are kept in very poor conditions under the deck of a ship. As we see from the very start there are many of them rushing from the below decks area to overwhelm the men who are transporting them. Though it is hard to tell the exact dimensions of the ship it is obvious that there are many more slaves than there are crew. This leads the viewer to believe that the ship is a very cramped condition. Also, the slaves are kept basically unclothed. They are also clearly desperate to escape as they have no hesitation to take the lives of the crew. While it is not shown, it is implied from the general knowledge that the …show more content…
The only reason the members of the revolt on the Amistad even got a trial was the fact that it could not be proven they were not born into slavery. The very principles of freedom in America are partly based on the fact that everyone has a right to a trial. That is something we take for granted as well. Even the most heinous of criminals in America have a right to a trial. These men would not have were their circumstances of birth different. Today we feel everyone in America has such a freedom. It takes a powerful scene such as this to show us the oh so fragile nature that freedom has.
In all the movie truly put modern freedom into perspective. The nature of freedom has evolved over the years. In America 's dark slave owning past freedom was a shadow of what it is today.
Was America a free country during the time of slavery?
The amount of freedom in America during the days of slavery was a varied one. Depending on where you lived. If one lived north of the Mason Dixon line, then there was quite a bit of freedom. Slavery was already done in that part of the country. In the case of Joadson it is obvious there were former slaves living in freedom. Below the Mason Dixon line freedom was much less of a thing. Slavery was common place. If you were of African descent, chances are you had little or no …show more content…
Slavery not only existed, it was thriving in the deep south. To me it is impossible to say a country is free when it allows the ownership of other human beings. Freedom to me means that all people have the opportunity to live life fully, go and do as they please while respecting the laws of society. Though slavery was technically legal in the south it was a law that hampered freedom for some people. If a country has laws that hampers freedom for one or more groups of people, then that country fails at being free.
What do you think about the story Cinque tells Baldwin, the lawyer, about his life and becoming a slave? This story demonstrates how millions of black Africans arrived in the Americas as slaves.
Cinque 's tale to Baldwin about how he became a slave is a sobering one. It shows the evil that humanity is capable of. As it takes an evil human being to take a person from their family, strip them of their freedom, and then sell them as property.
It is hard to even imagine the mindset that one human being can own another one. It is even more difficult to imagine keeping another human being in the conditions that slaves were kept in. The boat scenes alone show that the people who traded in slaves had no regard for human rights, dignity, or even