Joseph Cinquez, the brave Congolese Chief, who prefers death

Joseph Cinquez, the brave Congolese Chief, who prefers death to slavery, and who now lies in jail... Joseph Cinquez was the leader of a revolt among African slaves aboard the Spanish ship Amistad en route to Cuba in June 1839. The slaves seized control of the ship but were soon recaptured and charged with murder and piracy. This portrait was done while Cinquez (or Cinque) awaited trial in New Haven, Connecticut. John Quincy Adams represented the Africans before the Supreme Court, and thanks to his eloquence, they were set free and allowed to return to Africa. Sheffield's portrait is sympathetic and informal. The text quotes Cinquez's sober and moving speech to his comrades on board ship after the mutiny. He said, Brothers, we have done that which we purposed, our hands are now clean for we have Striven to regain the precious heritage we received from our fathers.... I am resolved it is better to die than to be a white man's slave... Commissioned by the publisher of the New York Sun, the print was described and advertised for sale in the account of the capture of the Amistad, published in that newspaper's August 31, 1839 issue. (The Sun account, evidently erroneous in this detail, names the artist as James Sheffield.) The Library's impression of the lithograph was deposited for copyright the same day. Date c1839

Picture No

10600837

Media ID

47466519

Size

3675px x 5023px (2.2MB)

Credit

Mary Evans / Library of Congress

Usage Restrictions

Editorial use only without prior approval

Date

1839