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As I said in Oral History, there was a slave ship called The Amistad. The book Amistad Rising is just about the same story, but instead of being from Cinque’s point of view it is from the point of view of a girl named Mangulu. Her name is more well known as Margru, but in Mende (the language spoken by her tribe of Africans) Margru means Black Snake. Now what kind of parents would name their child Black Snake? Not anybody I know! This is why she is believed to have had the name Mangulu.

Mangulu was born in a place in western Africa called Mendeland. She was still very young when she was pawned (to be “pawned” means that if your tribe is in need of something, then the one who was to be “pawned” would work as a slave for the one who would give them that thing) by her father. She became a slave to the Americans. Mangulu was chained to another slave. She was on a ship for seven weeks. Eventually the ship reached somewhere in Cuba, possibly Havana. The slaves were taken aboard another ship, this one taking them to another part of Cuba. In the middle of this trip, the slaves rebelled. Now I know you’re going to ask how they rebelled while they were in chains. Well, Cinque (remember him?) found a nail and picked the locks on the chains. Then the slaves all ran out on the deck at once. Mangulu wasn’t part of this rebellion, and she didn’t know what had happened until she saw the Spanish in chains. Cinque told them to sail back to Africa. They started sailing east, but after a few days, Cinque soon realized that they were being tricked. The Spanish were going east during the day, but at night they turned the ship and started heading west.

Eventually the Spaniards won. Other ships saw the Amistad and recaptured the Africans. The ship reached land in the United States. Cinque and others on the ship faced a death penalty for killing so many white men on the ship. But Cinque said that since the so-called “killing” had taken place outside the United States, he shouldn’t be charged for murder. Also, bringing slaves from Africa was, at that time, illegal. After many trials, the case made it to the Supreme Court. Cinque had John Quincy Adams, a former U.S president, as his lawyer. He won the case, but even so, the USA wasn’t going to provide the money for them to go back to Africa. They had to wait for donation money to add up. Eventually Mangulu got the money. On the ship, she was probably fascinated by the luxury. After all, the first time she had sailed she had been chained in a dirty prison. She must have been happy to see her native country again.

It is a sad story, but unfortunatly it is true. Mangulu sailed back to America and went to college. She even got a Christian name; Sarah (Yes, I know you had been wondering why I called her Sarah in the title). Sarah probably lived happily ever after. (Although I must say, she most likely gave her father a good telling off for pawning her. I wouldn’t be surprised.) Hopefully slavery will never happen again. (And hopefully nobody will be in such desperate need that they have to pawn their daughter, but I think Mangulu’s father would want me to change the subject.) So, in changing the subject, I guess I should end this post. Bye!