The John Batchelor Show

Saturday 18 May 2013

Air Date: 
May 18, 2013

Photo, above:  Amistad revolt, where Africans emphatically decided never to be slaves.

In January 1839, 53 African natives were kidnapped from eastern Africa and sold into the Spanish slave trade. They were then placed aboard a Spanish slave ship bound for Havana, Cuba.  Once in Havana, the Africans were classified as native Cuban slaves and purchased at auction by two Spaniards, who planned to move the slaves to another part of Cuba. The slaves were shackled and loaded aboard the cargo schooler Amistad (Spanish for "friendship") for the brief coastal voyage. However, three days into the journey, a 25-year-old slave named Sengbe Pieh (or "Cinque" to his Spanish captors) broke out of his shackles and released the other Africans. The slaves then revolted, killing most of the crew of the Amistad, including her cook and captain. The Africans then forced the ship to return to Africa.

During the day, the ship sailed due east, using the sun to navigate. However, at night Montez and Ruiz would change course, attempting to return to Cuba. The zig-zag journey continued for 63 days. It finally grounded near Montauk Point, Long Island, in New York State. The United States federal government seized the ship and its African occupants -- who under U.S. law were "property" and therefore cargo of the ship. On August 29, 1839, the Amistad was towed into New London, Connecticut.

The government charged the slaves with piracy and murder, and classified them as salvage property. The 53 Africans were sent to prison, pending hearing of their case before the U.S. Circuit Court in Hartford, Connecticut. The stage was set for an important, controversial, and highly politicized case. Local abolitionist groups rallied around the Africans' cause, organizing a legal defense, hiring a translator for the Africans, and providing material support. Meanwhile, the Spanish government pressured the U.S. President, Martin Van Buren, to return the slaves to Spain without trial. See below, Hour 4:  The Amistad Rebellion: An Atlantic Odyssey of Slavery and Freedom by Marcus Rediker

JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW

Hour One

Saturday 18 May 2013 / Hour 1, Block A: American Phoenix: The Remarkable Story of William Skinner, A Man Who Turned Disaster Into Destiny by Sarah S. Kilborne

Saturday 18 May 2013 / Hour 1, Block B:  American Phoenix: The Remarkable Story of William Skinner, A Man Who Turned Disaster Into Destiny by Sarah S. Kilborne

Saturday 18 May 2013 / Hour 1, Block C: . American Phoenix: The Remarkable Story of William Skinner, A Man Who Turned Disaster Into Destiny by Sarah S. Kilborne

Saturday 18 May 2013 / Hour 1, Block D:  American Phoenix: The Remarkable Story of William Skinner, A Man Who Turned Disaster Into Destiny by Sarah S. Kilborne

Hour Two

Saturday 18 May 2013 / Hour 2, Block A:  The Fiddler on Pantico Run: An African Warrior, His White Descendants, A Search for Family by Joe Mozingo

Saturday 18 May 2013 / Hour 2, Block B:  The Fiddler on Pantico Run: An African Warrior, His White Descendants, A Search for Family by Joe Mozingo

Saturday 18 May 2013 / Hour 2, Block C:  The Fiddler on Pantico Run: An African Warrior, His White Descendants, A Search for Family by Joe Mozingo

Saturday 18 May 2013 / Hour 2, Block D:  The Fiddler on Pantico Run: An African Warrior, His White Descendants, A Search for Family by Joe Mozingo

Hour Three

Saturday 18 May 2013 / Hour 3, Block A:  1861: The Civil War Awakening (Vintage) by Adam Goodheart   As the United States marks the 150th anniversary of our defining national drama, 1861 presents a gripping and original account of how the Civil War began.

Saturday 18 May 2013 / Hour 3, Block B:  1861: The Civil War Awakening (Vintage) by Adam Goodheart

Saturday 18 May 2013 / Hour 3, Block C:  Mightier than the Sword: Uncle Tom's Cabin and the Battle for America by David S. Reynolds

Saturday 18 May 2013 / Hour 3, Block D:  Mightier than the Sword: Uncle Tom's Cabin and the Battle for America by David S. Reynolds

Hour Four

Saturday 18 May 2013 / Hour 4, Block A:  The Amistad Rebellion: An Atlantic Odyssey of Slavery and Freedom by Marcus Rediker

Saturday 18 May 2013 / Hour 4, Block B:  The Amistad Rebellion: An Atlantic Odyssey of Slavery and Freedom by Marcus Rediker

Saturday 18 May 2013 / Hour 4, Block C:  The Amistad Rebellion: An Atlantic Odyssey of Slavery and Freedom by Marcus Rediker

Saturday 18 May 2013 / Hour 4, Block D:   The Amistad Rebellion: An Atlantic Odyssey of Slavery and Freedom by Marcus Rediker

Before I'll be a slave I'll be buried in my grave, and go home to my Lord and be free.

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Music

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