Lesson Plans: Using Film in the History Classroom
Amistad: Curriculum Guide
by Mary Hovanec

". . . Each of them are natives of Africa and were born free, and ever since have been and still of right are and ought to be free and not slaves . . ."

-- S. Staples, R. Baldwin, and T. Sedgewick
Proctors for the Amistad Africans, January 7, 1840

Objectives for Viewing Film:

1. To explore the issues of slavery and the Atlantic slave trade in order to understand the rapid growth of the "peculiar institution" after 1800 and the varied experiences of African Americans under slavery. (National History Standard 2D)
2. To understand why the Amistad Revolt was a significant event in the history of three intertwined countries; West Africa, Cuba, and the United States.
3. To assess the Amistad as a diplomatic incident. To explore and understand how nations and empires interacted circa 1840.
4. To relate the Amistad incident to other major events in the world in order to understand the state of affairs in the United States as well as in the world in 1939.
5. Amistad and Abolitionism. To identify the role of abolitionists, both black and white in the society of the United States. (National History Standard 4A)
6. To understand how debates over slavery influenced politics and sectionalism. (National History Standard 3B)
7. To use primary documents, letters, treaties, journal diaries, and court documents connected to the Amistad Trial in order to discern the difference between primary and secondary documents. To appreciate the value of primary sources.
8. To demonstrate the understanding of the rapid growth of the "peculiar institution" of slavery after 1800.

 

Questions to consider as you view the film:

1. Why is the film called Amistad?
2. What countries were involved in the Amistad case?
3. Who was John Quincy Adams?
4. Why was John Quincy Adams concerned about becoming involved in the Amistad case?
5. Who were Mende and where did they come from?
6. Why did President Van Buren involve himself in the Amistad case?
7. Did the film answer all your questions?
8. What more would you like to know about what you saw in the film?
9. Who were the abolitionists?
10. Which character did you like most? Least?
11. What qualities of leadership did Cinque show?
12. To what degree did individual influence affect the outcome of this case?
13. How does the film show the audience that the British were opposed to the slave trade?
14. Was the film about slavery or slave trading?
15. The film showed John Quincy Adams talking with Cinque yet in reality they never met. Why did the filmmaker choose to do this?
16. Could this film have been improved?

 

Activities:

1. Divide the students in groups and pass out copies of primary sources (your choice, as many as are available on the web, such as treaties, court document, letters, etc.) Have the students read and discuss the documents. Have dictionaries on hand so that vocabulary understanding is not a problem. Have students return to regular seating formation to share information. Create specific questions related to the documents that they can use as a guide when reading the primary sources.
2. Have the students discuss what would go through their minds if they were suddenly imprisoned in a slave fortress.
3. Group students in small groups and assign them a character from the film. Have them do some research and then as a class put together a chart (see attached).
4. Have the students work with a map to locate and label the countries involved in the case. Draw in the middle passage. Lead a discussion to show how and when the countries histories’ were interconnected with the Revolt and Trial.
5. Discuss some of the problems with the film and the importance of getting to the real facts.
6. Have students create a poster depiction of the Amistad case, comparing it to other significant revolts that occurred prior to the Civil War. Some examples for comparison are: Nat Turner’s Rebellion of 1831; the Creole revolt of 1841; and the importance of the Dred Scott decision in 1857.
7. Categorize the treaties and conventions that took place in relation to the Amistad case and the degree to which they impacted the outcome of the case. If this had occurred fifty years earlier or fifty years later how might the outcome have changed and what treaties or conventions would have applied?
8. Have the students write a movie review of the film after they have done some research to understand the facets of slavery and what the film depicted.
9. Have the students create a timeline of the Atlantic slave trade and one of the Amistad Revolt and Trial and have one superimposed over the other.
10. Have the students read accounts by Oulaudah A quino and compare his recollections of his capture with the feelings and experiences of the characters in Amistad.