They are then held prisoner in Connecticut, and their release becomes the subject of heated debate. before their thirteen colonies could precisely be called United States. The guide erases the distinction between fact and fiction, urging students, for example, to study black abolitionism through the films invented character, Theodore Joadson, rather than real historical figures. Theodore Joadson The 1997 film Amistad, directed by Steven Spielberg, and the novel Mutiny on the Amistad, written by Howard Jones, both retell the 1839 mutiny carried out by fifty-three Africans, resulting in a pivotal trial concerning civil rights. The ship is traveling from Cuba to the United States and has a cargo of Africans captured in Sierra Leone and held at the Lomboko slave fortress. In 1839, the slave ship Amistad set sail from Cuba to America. In fact, the Amistad case revolved around the Atlantic slave trade by 1840 outlawed by international treaty and had nothing whatever to do with slavery as an domestic institution. Theodore Joadson For the past forty years, no subject has received more scholarly attention. (Library of Congress) On August 29, 1839, a lone West African man named Sengbe Pieh stood in shackles before a special session of the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. No more so than these. He hopes to demonstrate that American courts are truly independent from outside influence and strongly suggests that slavery must be eliminated, even if that means drawing the country closer to civil war. I know you and your Presidency as well as any man - and your father's. The Spielberg film tells the story of a group of slaves who, at the beginning of the film, overwhelm their Spanish captors on the ship Amistad and try in vain to return to Africa. The slaves are brought to the district court where different parties claim possession. : What arguments are put forward by Senator Calhoun? One of the black men (Cinque) on board the ship frees himself and then helps the others to unlock their chains. [6], The entire film was completed in 51 days and cost around $39 million. New York abolished slavery in 1799. [exhales and looks confused]. Baldwin and Joadson are shown waiting. "Amistad" (1997) is a Steven Spielberg film about the slave uprising led by Joseph Cinque in 1839 on a Spanish ship named Friendship - La Amistad. No. Keep in mind that seven of the nine Supreme Court Justices are Southern slave owners. Tappan And that task, Sir, as you well know, is crushing slavery. The judge states that the treaty with Spain is inapplicable as the Africans cannot be considered merchandise and thus the blacks are not slaves but free individuals. Describe the conversation between Cinque and Baldwin. A captive, Cinqu, leads an uprising against the crew, most of whom are killed. If needed, make use of the following phrases: the bottom of a ship, low ceiling, lock (on a chain), metal spike, to show no pity/mercy, sword. Theodore Joadson, played by Morgan Freeman, has never been mentioned in historical accounts of the Amistad mutiny though he plays an important role in the movie. Suppose he keeps a personal diary. As an opener to the film, the students might brainstorm about slavery throughout history and in America in particular, as well as cases of mutiny they know about from literature or film (for example, Mutiny on the Bounty). Theodore Joadson Cinque tells the story of how they were captured, brought to Lomboko slave fortress (in Sierra Leone), transported on the vessel Tecora to Cuba and how they were sold there and were transferred to the Amistad. Why, they're um they're from west Africa. If the movie had presented history truthfully, it would have shown that African Americans were not enthralled by the Amistad affair. Blog Home Uncategorized theodore joadson role in amistad. He had some parts that were almost dead on like the role of Joseph Cinque. State to what extent you consider it appropriate. / a court . The Africans Encounter the White People's Religion 6. [16] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A-" on an A+ to F scale.[17]. Filmed in New England and Puerto Rico, the 152-minute drama opens with a pre . : Release Dates The fictional Joadson has to be paired with . : : "[18] Roger Ebert awarded the film three out of four stars, writing: Amistad, like Spielberg's Schindler's List, is [] about the ways good men try to work realistically within an evil system to spare a few of its victims. It was based on the true story of an uprising in 1839 by newly captured African slaves that took place aboard the ship La Amistad off the coast of Cuba. _____ PART B (DURING VIEWING) /60 points Task One /5 points What are a few outstanding elements of character, tone, and gesture which the actor Morgan Freeman brings into the role of Theodore Joadson? The Abolitionist Theodore Joadson 2. In October 1841, in an uncanny parallel to events on the Amistad, American slaves being transported from Virginia to Louisiana on the Creole seized control of the ship, killing some crew members and directing the mate to sail to the Bahamas. Though based on the true story of fifty-four Africans who were captured in Africa and brought to Cuba aboard the ship La Amistad, the movie contains some inaccurate or misleading information. "[20], Morgan Freeman is very proud of the movie, having said, "I loved the film. Theodore Joadson Amistad Movie Analysis. Add information about the following parties and explain their roles. The conversation among the Africans is not subtitled, and so the viewers have to draw conclusions from what they see. Study John Deans essay on Teaching History through Film. After having watched the movie. . If not, why not? Two of those victories came at the state level, and one arose to the Supreme Court. Your record confirms you're an abolitionist, sir. About forty of them, including four or five children. There are two other men who play a very drastic role in the fate of Cinque and his people; those men are John Quincy Adams and Theodore Joadson. If so, why? Amistad. While listening to the speech for a second time take down notes about the rhetorical devices that are used. Baldwin calls Captain Fitzgerald of the Royal Navy's West Africa Squadron to corroborate Cinqu's testimony. Theodore Joadson Washington and 325 other slaves were put on the Creole to be sent to New Orleans, but somewhere between Hampton, Va., and New Orleans, he and 19 black men overpowered the white slavers and had the ship sailed to the Bahamas, a British colony. : There were fewer slaves in the North, where they mostly worked as servants. : Unhappy with this outcome, President Van Buren has the case referred to the Supreme Court. They chant. ", Even the main hero of the movie, John Quincy Adams, had such a solid record of political indifference and callousness toward the plight of black Americans that abolitionists in his own state dubbed him the "Madman of Massachusetts.". [smiles and nods]. He explains in metaphorical language why this case is so exceptional. The groups might concentrate on Cinque/Captain Fitzgerald/ Holabird/Cinques friend.). The slave trade was dominated by the British. There remains one task undone. Nowhere in America during the 1840s (and for many decades after) was a black man allowed to sit in a courtroom even as a witness or defendant. What was the "Underground Railroad" and what was its role in the anti-slavery movement? As tension rises, Cinqu abruptly stands and demands, "Give us, us free!". Along with Lewis Tappan, he sought to free the Africans who were imprisoned during the Amistad trial of 1839, and, with the help of lawyer Roger Sherman Baldwin, they won the case. Referring to Adams being a former president, Cinque says, A chief cannot become anything less than a chief, not even in death. Discuss this statement, also referring to great statesmen. 1 By Bruce A. Ragsdale Enlarge Sengbe Pieh (Cinque), leader of the revolt aboard the Amistad, in an 1839 portrait. Try to explain why the writer of the screenplay and the director decided to make these changes. Before viewing this part, the students should be introduced to (or revise) camera angles and movements and the scenes should probably be shown twice. Freed slave Theodore Joadson wants Cinque and the others exonerated and recruits property lawyer Roger Baldwin to help his case. Second, their presence created a carnival-like atmosphere, which the white abolitionists took advantage of by putting the Africans on display like animals in a zoo. The greatest disservice the movie renders to the American public is to grossly distort race relations in 19th-century America. . Theodore Joadson [6] After considering over 150 actors, Spielberg watched the audition tape of relatively unknown actor Djimon Hounsou reading a speech from the film's script. After six weeks they run out of water and sail towards land. En route, the slaves staged a . In the United States, journalists, novel writers and preachers led the way to abolitionismsuch as William Lloyd Garrison (18051879) Harriet Beacher Stowe (18111896), and John Brown (18001859). I'll see what I can do about that. The guide erases the distinction between fact and fiction, urging students, for example, to study black abolitionism through the film's invented character, Theodore Joadson, rather than real historical figures. Several characters are altered or added for the sake of the films dramatic effect. The arraignment is day after tomorrow. Theodore Joadson : They were first detained by officers of a brig off Long Island. They were first detained by officers of a brig off Long Island. Theodore Joadson Monologues. But "Amistad" almost didn't sail because Spielberg couldn't find the right actor to play Cinque, the 25-year-old rice farmer from the Mende tribe who led the rebellion. : The Spanish government of Queen Isabella[a] intervenes in support of Montez & Ruiz, under the Treaty of San Lorenzo. Tappan And you, in turn, have devoted your life to refining that noble invention. It is a film based on the true story. Sure, they saw Sengbe and the other Mende Africans as heroes for having killed white oppressors for freedom and wanted them free. One of the Africans is shown looking at pictures in the Bible. : Apart from the intrepid Cinque, the Africans' leader, we never learn how the captives responded to their ordeal. Actor and film director Spike Lee is believed to have been offered, and declined, the role. Martyrdom, Mr. Joadson. Freed slave Theodore Joadson wants Cinque and the others exonerated and recruits property lawyer Roger . : but the lawyer is never particularly well-defined outside of his role in the La Amistad case. Incongruous as it may seem, it was perfectly possible in the nineteenth century to condemn the importation of slaves from Africa while simultaneously defending slavery and the flourishing slave trade within the United States Amistads problems go far deeper than such anachronisms as President Martin Van Buren campaigning for re-election on a whistle-stop train tour (in 1840, candidates did not campaign), or people constantly talking about the impending Civil War, which lay 20 years in the future. Theodore Joadson Baldwin, unable to converse directly with his clients due to the language barrier, suspects the slaves are not Cubans but Africans who have been kidnapped and transported illegally as part of the banned transatlantic slave trade. BLACK people who think that Steven Spielberg's latest movie "Amistad" is about black heroes taking their freedom by any means necessary are doomed to disappointment upon seeing the movie. Turned Down Steven Spielberg | Larry King Now | Ora.TV", "Blackmum gets in act for Spielberg movie", "In 'Amistad' Film, Mystic Stands In For New Haven", Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education, President, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, President, Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences, Massachusetts Historical Society holdings, 1821 United States Senate election in New York, United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, List of federal judges appointed by Martin Van Buren, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Amistad_(film)&oldid=1135889403, Cultural depictions of Isabella II of Spain, Films about presidents of the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2022, Album articles lacking alt text for covers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Steven Spielberg, Debbie Allen, Colin Wilson, This page was last edited on 27 January 2023, at 13:56.