Bill Text: NJ AJR228 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Designates February 28 of each year as "Amistad Day."
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-05-12 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [AJR228 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-AJR228-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman ANNETTE QUIJANO
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Designates February 28 of each year as "Amistad Day."
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Joint Resolution designating February 28 of each year as "Amistad Day."
Whereas, The Amistad case is arguably the most important legal case involving slavery to arise during the nineteenth century; and
Whereas, Aside from raising issues of criminal and international law, and of property rights, the case served as a test of the United States' commitment to live up to its founding principles; and
Whereas, In 1839, Portuguese slavers illegally transported hundreds of Africans from present day Sierra Leone to Cuba, then a Spanish colony, in violation of treaties that outlawed the international slave trade; and
Whereas, 53 of the Africans were later purchased by two enslavers and boarded onto a schooner called La Amistad that set sail from Havana bound for Puerto Principe (now Camagüey), Cuba; and
Whereas, During the voyage, Joseph Cinque, one of the Africans aboard the ship, found a way to unshackle himself and the others aboard and planned a mutiny; and
Whereas, On the morning of July 2, and in the middle of a storm, the Africans killed the captain and a crewmember using knives found in the cargo hold and captured Jose Ruiz and Pedro Montes, the two enslavers who had purchased them, before gaining control of the ship; and
Whereas, Cinque ordered Ruiz and Montes to sail the Amistad back to Africa and, although the two men complied during the day, at night they steered the ship northward towards United States waters; and
Whereas, After nearly two months at sea, a U.S. Navy ship seized the Amistad off the coast of Long Island, New York and escorted it to New London, Connecticut, where authorities freed Ruiz and Montes and jailed the Africans; and
Whereas, Ruiz and Montes, along with the Spanish government, then went to court arguing that the Amistad and its cargo be returned pursuant to a 1795 treaty between Spain and the United States and that the Africans be re-enslaved; and
Whereas, In January 1840, the federal district court in Connecticut ruled that the Africans aboard the Amistad were illegally enslaved, that they would not be returned to Cuba to stand trial, and that they should be allowed to return to Africa; and
Whereas, The case was later appealed to the Supreme Court where abolitionist groups enlisted the help of former President John Quincy Adams to represent the Africans aboard the Amistad; and
Whereas, In presenting his arguments before the court, Adams noted that the case was a test of America's willingness to stand up for the ideals upon which it was founded saying that "the moment you come to the Declaration of Independence, that every man has a right to life and liberty, an unalienable right, this case is decided"; and
Whereas, On March 9, 1841, the Supreme Court ruled by a 7-1 vote that the Africans had been illegally enslaved, that they should be allowed to return to their homeland, and that they had rightfully exercised the natural right to fight for their freedom by staging a mutiny aboard the ship; and
Whereas, In honor of the brave men and women who fought for their freedom aboard the Amistad and to ensure that the history and contributions of African-Americans are properly integrated into social studies curricula in the State's public schools, the Amistad Commission was established in 2002; and
Whereas, To advance this purpose, the commission distributes educational materials to school districts and holds annual teacher workshops concerning the African slave trade, slavery in America, the vestiges of slavery, and the contributions African-Americans have made to our society; and
Whereas, The commission also continuously monitors and assesses the extent to which the materials it distributes have been included in curricula across the State and makes recommendations to the State Board of Education on the ways in which content about the slave trade, American slavery, and African-American history can be further incorporated into the New Jersey Student Learning Standards; and
Whereas, The State of New Jersey further recognizes the contributions and accomplishments of African-Americans by joining with other states and the federal government in designating February of each year as "Black History Month"; and
Whereas, It is fitting and proper to set aside a day during Black History Month to further highlight the importance of the Amistad case to the American abolitionist movement and to the cause of liberty and equality throughout the world; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. February 28 of each year shall be designated as "Amistad Day" throughout the State of New Jersey in recognition of the importance of the Amistad case to the American abolitionist movement and to the causes of liberty and equality throughout the world.
2. The Governor shall annually issue a proclamation calling upon public officials and the citizens of this State to observe "Amistad Day" with appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities.
3. This joint resolution
shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This joint resolution designates February 28 of each year as "Amistad Day" throughout the State of New Jersey in recognition of the importance of the Amistad case to the American abolitionist movement and to the causes of liberty and equality throughout the world. The Amistad case is arguably the most important legal case involving slavery to arise during the nineteenth century and has been seen by many as a test of the United States' commitment to live up to its founding principles.
In 1839, Portuguese slavers illegally transported hundreds of Africans from present day Sierra Leone to Cuba in violation of treaties that outlawed the international slave trade. 53 of the Africans were later purchased by Jose Ruiz and Pedro Montes, two enslavers, and boarded onto a schooner called La Amistad that set sail from Havana bound for Puerto Principe (now Camagüey), Cuba. During the voyage, Joseph Cinque, one of the Africans aboard the ship, found a way to unshackle himself and the others aboard and staged a revolt. The Africans would go on to gain control of the ship and ordered Ruiz and Montes to sail the Amistad back to Africa. Although the two men complied during the day, they steered the ship northward towards United States waters at night.
The ship was later seized by the U.S. Navy off the coast of Long Island, New York, and escorted to New London, Connecticut, where authorities freed Ruiz and Montes and jailed the Africans. Ruiz and Montes, along with the Spanish government, then went to court arguing that the Amistad and its cargo be returned pursuant to a 1795 treaty between Spain and the United States and that the Africans be re-enslaved. The case was eventually appealed to the Supreme Court, which ruled by a 7-1 vote that the Africans had been illegally enslaved, that they should be allowed to return to their homeland, and that they had rightfully exercised their natural right to fight for their freedom by staging a mutiny aboard the ship.
Given the importance of the Amistad case to the American abolitionist movement and to the causes of liberty and equality throughout the world, this joint resolution calls upon the State to set aside a day during Black History Month to commemorate the men and women aboard the Amistad who bravely fought for their freedom both on land and at sea.
