52 Getaways

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39. Amistad for All

Connection Types:	History
Seasons:	Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

New Haven Museum and Historical Society

Begin in New Haven, where the U.S. Navy took custody of La Amistad. Visit the New Haven Museum and Historical Society, home to the world’s largest collection of Amistad artwork. The pieces include Nathaniel Jocelyn's Portrait of Joseph Cinque.

Amistad Memorial

The Amistad Memorial is on Church Street. Sculpted by Ed Hamilton in 1992, the 14-foot bronze relief stands on the former site of the New Haven Jail, where the kidnapped Africans awaited trial.

New Haven's Long Wharf

If it’s in port (consult amistadamerica.net for a schedule), visit the Freedom Schooner Amistad at New Haven’s Long Wharf. This recreation of the original ship was meticulously crafted at Mystic Seaport from purpleheart (a tropical hardwood), Douglas fir, live oak, and insect-resistant iroko from Sierra Leone. The 136-ton, 129-foot-long schooner is a floating classroom, where visitors can can learn more about the Amistad story and the transatlantic slave trade.

Mystic Seaport

Drive to Mystic Seaport, where the Freedom Schooner Amistad was constructed. Spielberg shot scenes for his movie here, and used the “blubber room” of the Mystic Seaport whale ship, Charles W. Morgan to depict the hold of La Amistad.

Stay overnight in the Mystic area.

Old State House

The following day, drive to Hartford. Visit the Old State House, a 1796 National Historic Landmark where the first Amistad trial was held.

Wadsworth Atheneum

Visit the Wadsworth Atheneum, which houses the Amistad Foundation African-American Collection. Enjoy lunch at the Museum Café.

Harriet Beecher Stowe Center

En route to Farmington, visit Hartford’s Harriet Beecher Stowe Center. Stowe wrote the antislavery novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Drive to Farmington, where the Amistad Africans lived while funds were being raised for their return home. First Church of Christ (where the Africans worshiped) and Riverside Cemetery, resting place of an Amistad African, Foone, who drowned in the Farmington Canal basin, are two important spots.

While in Farmington, visit a wonderful independent bookstore, the Millrace Bookshop in the Gristmill. See if Ernest R. Shaw’s book, Amistad Sites & The Underground Railroad ($9) is on the shelves.