The Supreme Court rules that the Africans who revolted aboard the schooner La Amistad were illegally enslaved and are free.
At a Glance
- Date
- 9 March 1841
- Location
- Washington, D.C.
- Key people
- Joseph Cinque, John Quincy Adams
- Category
- Abolition & Slavery
- Source
- United States v. The Amistad, 40 U.S. 518 (1841) · Oyez
What It Meant Then
It was a rare antebellum legal victory for captive Africans, argued in part by John Quincy Adams.
What It Means Now
The Amistad case endures as a landmark of the abolitionist struggle.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “The Amistad Decision.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-amistad-decision/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). The Amistad Decision. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-amistad-decision/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “The Amistad Decision.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-amistad-decision/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.