Amistad: Facts and Fictions of Slavery in Film

In-person event: Join our panel of experts to discuss the historic saga of the African captives who rebelled onboard the Spanish ship La Amistad in 1839, and discover what is fact and what is fiction.

The story of the Amistad is part of the canon in the history of abolition. It tells the saga of 53 African captives who rebelled while onboard La Amistad and went on to win their freedom through the American courts. These events have been adapted to many fictional mediums, including Steven Spielberg’s 1997 eponymous film. While this film might be the first encounter most people have with the Amistad, there is much more to the story than what we see on screen.  
Our speakers include Dr. Dexter Gabriel, professor at the UConn Department of History and expert on the subject of slavery in popular culture, Dr. Dann j. Broyld, professor of African American History at UMass Lowell, and Dr. Jorge Felipe-González, professor of history at University of Texas San Antonio. 

Join us for a deep dive discussion about the significance of the Amistad case in the history of slave resistance and abolition, the Spielberg film’s strengths and shortcomings as a representation of the story, and the role of such fictionalized accounts.

This program is co-sponsored by El Instituto, UConn’s Institute of Latina/o, Caribbean, and Latin American Studies, and the Connecticut Democracy Center at Connecticut’s Old State House

Please register here