About This Book

In 1839, the schooner Amistad set sail on a short voyage from one end of Cuba to the other. During the journey, the illegally enslaved Africans she was carrying revolted against their captors and seized control of the ship. They hoped to sail back to Africa, but instead they wound up in the United States, where they were put on trial. Their case went all the way to the Supreme Court, where they were represented by former U.S. president John Quincy Adams. Walter Dean Myers explores the issues surrounding the imprisonment and trial of the Amistad captives and examines the feelings, both popular and political, that were shaping our young nation at that time.

About the Authors or Illustrators

Walter Dean Myers

Walter Dean Myers is the beloved and outstanding author of such children's and young adult books as Fallen Angels, Somewhere in the Darkness, Slam!, and Harlem, among many more. His many awards include two Newbery Honors, five Coretta Scott King Awards, and the Michael J. Printz Award.

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