What did you think of portrayal of the Abolitionist movement in the film? Do you think they really have the Africans' best interests at heart? Is their behavior pragmatic?
The Abolitionist movement was well portrayed in this film. I feel that the Abolitionist movement had the Africans best interest at heart because they did everything they could to help free them. They searched the amistad and found things to help them in their case. I feel like their behavior was not fully pragmatic because many people came in to try to claim the slaves.
I believe the Abolitionist Movement was portrayed well in this film. The abolitionists, especially Mr. Baldwin and his team, had the Africans best interest at heart because they did whatever was possible to get the Africans freed. With the help of Cinque, they were able to find out where they were from and so on. Mr. Baldwin clearly had his heart in it since his practice fell apart once he took the case and he was getting death threats, but continued to fight. Like he told Cinque, he was all he had. I think the abolitionists' behavior was pragmatic because they were realistic and knew their chances, especially when the judge was changed, but still did whatever they could and found as much evidence as they could to free the Africans. Ultimately that was the final goal and all that mattered.
The abolitionist movement is definitely portrayed realistically in the film. This Amistad case occurred during the heat of the movement when both sides fought to the extreme for their beliefs. The abolitionists, however, were realistic in that they understood the unlikely chance of winning the case. I do believe they were striving to help the Africans, yet they were also definitely motivated to boost their own ego. The abolitionists were striving to gain popular support and winning the Amistad case would certainly help that.
I think the abolitionist movement was portrayed both well and realistically in the film. Mr. Baldwin was representing the abolitionist side when he spoke for the Cinque and the other Africans, and the passion that he and Mr. Joadson had during the trial showed that they had the Africans best interests at heart.
I feel that the abolitionist movement was portrayed well in the film because Mr. Baldwin did do everything he possibly could to free Cinque and everyone else. Despite losing his clientele and getting numerous death threats he and the other people on his team did have the africans best interests in heart because they kept pushing for their freedom.
The Abolitionist group were really trying to win Cinque's (and the others) freedom. Mr. Baldwin and the team were doing anything they could to achieve Cinque and his group the freedom they deserved. They worked really hard on the case by learning some of their language and trying to find a person that could actually translate for them. They went on the La Amistad to look for clues and Theodore couldn't believe how they were chained up and treated on the ship. He fell down and the look of disgust on his face demonstrated he felt sympathy for them. He didn't want anyone to go through what they did. They genuinely cared for Cinque and they believed his story. When they won the first case, Mr. Baldwin was jumping up and down with joy and was extremely happy that they won. When they won the Supreme Court case, Mr. Baldwin thanked Cinque in Cinque's language.
I think that the Abolitionists in the movie were casted well and behaved very similar to how Abolitionists of that time really were. I also believe that the Abolitionists in the movie did have the African's best interests. Mr. Baldwin loses business over the case and also receives numerous death threats yet he doesn't give up on the trial and continues to push for the African's freedom. Mr. Joadson (Morgan Freeman) also gives support to the African's throughout the movie even though they are skeptical of him. The only person who I thought maybe wasn't pushing for the African's freedom was Mr. Tappan because he thought that is the African's were killed or didn't receive justice then they would be more valuable to the Abolitionist cause. The Abolitionists' behavior was definitely pragmatic. Throughout the movie they acted that although they had a strong case there was still a chance that the Africans wouldn't go free, which would be a very likely possibility during that time period. Also, Mr. Baldwin's recruitment of John Quincy Adams' help was realistic because he recognized that it was unlikely that the southern Supreme Court Justices would sympathize with the Africans.
The film's portrayal of the Abolitionist movement was done so realistically. It clearly demonstrates that abolitionists were serious and passionate about ending slavery in the United States. Mr. Baldwin and Theodore Joadson would do anything and everything they possibly can to be able to set Cinque and the rest of the Africans free. They even went as far as trying to learn their language, Mende. Eventually they did find someone who spoke Mende fluently and were now able to translate for Cinque. Both Baldwin and Joadson had the best interest at heart for the Africans, otherwise, they would not have worked so hard, and find evidence on the Amistad, to win the case. And it was obvious that they cared about the Africans because they were jumping up, yelling and cheering because they won. Yes the prosecution did appeal, and yes Mr. Baldwin was receiving death threats, but he payed no attention to it. All he wanted was to be able to free Cinque and the rest. What really caught my attention was the very end of the film, when Cinque thanked Baldwin in English, Baldwin thanked Cinque in Mende. It was such a powerful moment. It shows that no matter what your skin color is or what your culture is, we are all still connected and the same. We are all humans. So why should one be treated differently than the other?
I think the portrayal of the abolitionist movement was well done in this film. Mr. Baldwin, the abolitionist leader, was very passionate about trying to get the Africans back to their home. He used all of his power to interact with Cinque, the leader of the African slaves. His efforts of trying to communicate with Cinque and even trying to understand Mende by getting a translator show that he and the other abolitionists really did have the best interests in heart for the Africans. I believe their behavior was pragmatic because they took a realistic approach when considering the well being of the Africans slave who just wanted freedom.
I believe the abolitionist movement was portrayed very realistically in the film. The abolitionists, such as Mr. Baldwin, were very serious in ending slavery and doing their best in trying to return the Africans back to Africa. The Amistad case took place when both the abolitionists and the people for slavery were arguing to show whose beliefs were better. Ultimately, I believe the abolitionists won the case because they really wanted to help not only the Africans, but also for themselves. If the abolitionists won the case then they would gain popularity in the country.
The Abolitionist movement was so beautifully captured in this film. Their determination to free Cinque and his people never faded no matter what. They never ever gave up even when it got very difficult. Mr. Baldwin and his team put everything on the line by taking this case. Cinque and his people didn't speak English, but that didn't stop them. Baldwin and Cinque learned a little of each of their languages, and when you take the time to do that, it really shows that you care.
The abolitionists never lost hope, even when the President switched judges to someone whom he believed would be in favor of his racist views. The abolitionists definitely had the Africans' best interests at heart. Baldwin put in all his effort to understand Cinque and become friendly with him. He kept supporting the Africans even after receiving multiple death threats. They were brave and didn't let fear get in the way. They would fight, even if that meant fighting to the death. Baldwin and his team put theirselves in the shoes of the Africans.
This case is the reason why his practice fell apart. These men deserved their freedom and Baldwin was going to fight until they got it, no matter how many appeals they would face.
The behavior of the abolitionists was definitely pragmatic. They gathered all the information possible to win the case. In my opinion, the way Baldwin defended the Africans was absolutely brilliant. He proved they were obtained illegally through their language. He told Cinque to stand up and it was obvious he didn't understand. He had solid evidence, including testimonies and the manifest from the boat. They were able to decipher part of their numerical system which they used to find someone who could help them translate. Baldwin got Cinque to tell his story, and his story uncovered an entire illegal slave industry which ended up being liberated by the British. When Cinque stood up and yelled out "free us" repeatedly, that tugged at the strings of my heart. I think that moment in the trial kind of smacked some sense into people. That moment was so profound. It showed that the Africans are human too and not objects. It showed deep emotion.
Cinque didn't get that much of a happy ending since he returned home to find that his family was taken, but this case did free hundreds of slaves.
The hard work of the abolitionists surely paid off. They did such a great job, the president-appointed judge ruled in their favor. John Quincy Adams said "let this be the last fight of the American Revolution," and said something like "if this is the spark for the civil war, so be it." I really loved those lines and the way he spoke out in court. I think what he said was very persuasive. Each abolitionist had a great impact on the Amistad case. Every single person supporting the Africans and their rights contributed to the growing strength and power of the case. The victory of the case would set a precedent to future cases. Each fight, small or big, against slavery got America closer and closer to the liberation of Africans.
Hollywood tends to distort the truth and the motives of the figures of our past, making them far more apathetic than they really were. In reality, things were much less simple than an audacious group of men and women who wanted to stop slavery because it was morally wrong. Money and prestige were the major reasons behind the abolishment movement. The south didn’t hate blacks perse, they saw them as profitable commodities. The northerners, seeing that the south were selling Great Britain and other countries slave-picked cotton, became eerie of foreign relations. Because the northerners didn’t remotely benefit as much as their southern countrymen with slaves, it was indeed pragmatic and pragmatic alone to take measures to ensure its abolishment.
I know there are many different opinions of what the motives were of Abolitionist to free the Africans, but I believe that they were really doing it for moral reasons and for the benefit of humanity. In this film I think the most convincing argument that John Q. Adams put forward was how can the Declaration of Independence be valid if all men are truly unequal. Also, after the first time the court decided that the Africans were free and the excitement was within the court room was so pronounced it really showed the support and seriousness that abolitionists had towards their cause.
Cinque is a powerful character. He's intelligent, persuasive, and kind. For these reasons so many people that interacted with him were enlightened and came to the similar conclusions: If this man is not free than no one should be allowed to be. Cinques character made people recognize that terrible obstacles that he's been forced to face, like the confrontation with the lion or him taking over the ship that was viciously transporting him, and despite these struggles he amazing. He didn't loose hope to someday see his family again and that was shown by him keeping the lions tooth. So I believe Cinque's unwavering strength is what made people want to support him and fight for him
I hope I understand this correctly but in terms of the Africans behavior I think throughout the whole film they were pragmatic. When captured they were confused and scared. On the ship they were really scared and angry to the point they realized they had to kill to survive. And when they arrived in the US they were all three of these emotions, they thought the white sailors were taking them back to Africa and then when they arrived in America they were chained up again and forced to be treated as less then a human being for months again. Cinque used all of these emotions in the court room when he begged for him freedom, he chanted,"Give us, us free!". This scene was so powerful and gave many people within the court room clarity by showing them they are people too, that they can evolve and aren't just the uneducated, non-christians that they are believed to be.
I believe the Abolition movement was acting from a moral standpoint in supporting the passengers of the Amistad. However, at one point in the movie, an abolition member, Tappen, questions whether the Amistad victims would be more useful to the movement if they were convicted and killed which would then then make them martyrs. From a historical perspective, the abolition movement was still seen as a fringe movement in this time period even in the slave-free northern states. If their overall goal was the freeing of all slaves in the United States, their hypothetical action would certainly be pragmatic in creating martyrs to support the cause. Having such high profile news would make people question slavery which had previously been rationalized by religion or economic reasons. The Abolition movement thankfully didn’t create martyrs of the Amistad group and succeeded in allowing them to return to their homes.
I think the movie was well done. The film director did a great job of portraying the abolition movement. One strong character was Mr. Baldwin who was very determined to give the salves their deserved freedom. Even though their was a language barrier throughout the whole film, It didn't stop Mr. Baldwin In giving Cinque and the rest of the slaves their freedom. The director deserves a lot of credit because It was portrayed really well.
In this film I felt the abolitionist movement was portrayed significantly well. Although I wasn't there to verify the validity of it, it seemed to me the actions that were taken during this time would be in relation to of those during other racial movements. What astonished me the most was how little of resources and support the Africans were given. They didn't even speak the same language as Mr.Baldwin, their lawyer. Sadly, the majority of the people involved with this case were against the freeing of the captured Africans. At heart the motives behind many of the arguments given were for selfish reasons. One of them including the possibility of a Civil War. While others simply wanted ownership for money purposes. During this era not many people looked at Africans as people, only property. The way the abolitionists involved with the case went along with procedures very sensibly. They were able to acquire a warrant to search the suspected slave ship and never reacted to the threatening remarks or letters that were directed towards them. As a whole, because of the bravery and level mindedness of these men, the Africans were able to return to their homeland.
The Abolitionist movement was well portrayed in this film. I feel that the Abolitionist movement had the Africans best interest at heart because they did everything they could to help free them. They searched the amistad and found things to help them in their case. I feel like their behavior was not fully pragmatic because many people came in to try to claim the slaves.
ReplyDeleteI believe the Abolitionist Movement was portrayed well in this film. The abolitionists, especially Mr. Baldwin and his team, had the Africans best interest at heart because they did whatever was possible to get the Africans freed. With the help of Cinque, they were able to find out where they were from and so on. Mr. Baldwin clearly had his heart in it since his practice fell apart once he took the case and he was getting death threats, but continued to fight. Like he told Cinque, he was all he had. I think the abolitionists' behavior was pragmatic because they were realistic and knew their chances, especially when the judge was changed, but still did whatever they could and found as much evidence as they could to free the Africans. Ultimately that was the final goal and all that mattered.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe abolitionist movement is definitely portrayed realistically in the film. This Amistad case occurred during the heat of the movement when both sides fought to the extreme for their beliefs. The abolitionists, however, were realistic in that they understood the unlikely chance of winning the case. I do believe they were striving to help the Africans, yet they were also definitely motivated to boost their own ego. The abolitionists were striving to gain popular support and winning the Amistad case would certainly help that.
ReplyDeleteI think the abolitionist movement was portrayed both well and realistically in the film. Mr. Baldwin was representing the abolitionist side when he spoke for the Cinque and the other Africans, and the passion that he and Mr. Joadson had during the trial showed that they had the Africans best interests at heart.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the abolitionist movement was portrayed well in the film because Mr. Baldwin did do everything he possibly could to free Cinque and everyone else. Despite losing his clientele and getting numerous death threats he and the other people on his team did have the africans best interests in heart because they kept pushing for their freedom.
ReplyDeleteThe Abolitionist group were really trying to win Cinque's (and the others) freedom. Mr. Baldwin and the team were doing anything they could to achieve Cinque and his group the freedom they deserved. They worked really hard on the case by learning some of their language and trying to find a person that could actually translate for them. They went on the La Amistad to look for clues and Theodore couldn't believe how they were chained up and treated on the ship. He fell down and the look of disgust on his face demonstrated he felt sympathy for them. He didn't want anyone to go through what they did. They genuinely cared for Cinque and they believed his story. When they won the first case, Mr. Baldwin was jumping up and down with joy and was extremely happy that they won. When they won the Supreme Court case, Mr. Baldwin thanked Cinque in Cinque's language.
ReplyDeleteI think that the Abolitionists in the movie were casted well and behaved very similar to how Abolitionists of that time really were. I also believe that the Abolitionists in the movie did have the African's best interests. Mr. Baldwin loses business over the case and also receives numerous death threats yet he doesn't give up on the trial and continues to push for the African's freedom. Mr. Joadson (Morgan Freeman) also gives support to the African's throughout the movie even though they are skeptical of him. The only person who I thought maybe wasn't pushing for the African's freedom was Mr. Tappan because he thought that is the African's were killed or didn't receive justice then they would be more valuable to the Abolitionist cause. The Abolitionists' behavior was definitely pragmatic. Throughout the movie they acted that although they had a strong case there was still a chance that the Africans wouldn't go free, which would be a very likely possibility during that time period. Also, Mr. Baldwin's recruitment of John Quincy Adams' help was realistic because he recognized that it was unlikely that the southern Supreme Court Justices would sympathize with the Africans.
ReplyDeleteThe film's portrayal of the Abolitionist movement was done so realistically. It clearly demonstrates that abolitionists were serious and passionate about ending slavery in the United States. Mr. Baldwin and Theodore Joadson would do anything and everything they possibly can to be able to set Cinque and the rest of the Africans free. They even went as far as trying to learn their language, Mende. Eventually they did find someone who spoke Mende fluently and were now able to translate for Cinque. Both Baldwin and Joadson had the best interest at heart for the Africans, otherwise, they would not have worked so hard, and find evidence on the Amistad, to win the case. And it was obvious that they cared about the Africans because they were jumping up, yelling and cheering because they won. Yes the prosecution did appeal, and yes Mr. Baldwin was receiving death threats, but he payed no attention to it. All he wanted was to be able to free Cinque and the rest. What really caught my attention was the very end of the film, when Cinque thanked Baldwin in English, Baldwin thanked Cinque in Mende. It was such a powerful moment. It shows that no matter what your skin color is or what your culture is, we are all still connected and the same. We are all humans. So why should one be treated differently than the other?
ReplyDeleteI think the portrayal of the abolitionist movement was well done in this film. Mr. Baldwin, the abolitionist leader, was very passionate about trying to get the Africans back to their home. He used all of his power to interact with Cinque, the leader of the African slaves. His efforts of trying to communicate with Cinque and even trying to understand Mende by getting a translator show that he and the other abolitionists really did have the best interests in heart for the Africans. I believe their behavior was pragmatic because they took a realistic approach when considering the well being of the Africans slave who just wanted freedom.
ReplyDeleteI believe the abolitionist movement was portrayed very realistically in the film. The abolitionists, such as Mr. Baldwin, were very serious in ending slavery and doing their best in trying to return the Africans back to Africa. The Amistad case took place when both the abolitionists and the people for slavery were arguing to show whose beliefs were better. Ultimately, I believe the abolitionists won the case because they really wanted to help not only the Africans, but also for themselves. If the abolitionists won the case then they would gain popularity in the country.
ReplyDeleteThe Abolitionist movement was so beautifully captured in this film. Their determination to free Cinque and his people never faded no matter what. They never ever gave up even when it got very difficult. Mr. Baldwin and his team put everything on the line by taking this case. Cinque and his people didn't speak English, but that didn't stop them. Baldwin and Cinque learned a little of each of their languages, and when you take the time to do that, it really shows that you care.
ReplyDeleteThe abolitionists never lost hope, even when the President switched judges to someone whom he believed would be in favor of his racist views. The abolitionists definitely had the Africans' best interests at heart. Baldwin put in all his effort to understand Cinque and become friendly with him. He kept supporting the Africans even after receiving multiple death threats. They were brave and didn't let fear get in the way. They would fight, even if that meant fighting to the death. Baldwin and his team put theirselves in the shoes of the Africans.
This case is the reason why his practice fell apart. These men deserved their freedom and Baldwin was going to fight until they got it, no matter how many appeals they would face.
The behavior of the abolitionists was definitely pragmatic. They gathered all the information possible to win the case. In my opinion, the way Baldwin defended the Africans was absolutely brilliant. He proved they were obtained illegally through their language. He told Cinque to stand up and it was obvious he didn't understand. He had solid evidence, including testimonies and the manifest from the boat. They were able to decipher part of their numerical system which they used to find someone who could help them translate. Baldwin got Cinque to tell his story, and his story uncovered an entire illegal slave industry which ended up being liberated by the British. When Cinque stood up and yelled out "free us" repeatedly, that tugged at the strings of my heart. I think that moment in the trial kind of smacked some sense into people. That moment was so profound. It showed that the Africans are human too and not objects.
It showed deep emotion.
Cinque didn't get that much of a happy ending since he returned home to find that his family was taken, but this case did free hundreds of slaves.
The hard work of the abolitionists surely paid off. They did such a great job, the president-appointed judge ruled in their favor. John Quincy Adams said "let this be the last fight of the American Revolution," and said something like "if this is the spark for the civil war, so be it." I really loved those lines and the way he spoke out in court. I think what he said was very persuasive. Each abolitionist had a great impact on the Amistad case. Every single person supporting the Africans and their rights contributed to the growing strength and power of the case. The victory of the case would set a precedent to future cases. Each fight, small or big, against slavery got America closer and closer to the liberation of Africans.
Hollywood tends to distort the truth and the motives of the figures of our past, making them far more apathetic than they really were. In reality, things were much less simple than an audacious group of men and women who wanted to stop slavery because it was morally wrong. Money and prestige were the major reasons behind the abolishment movement. The south didn’t hate blacks perse, they saw them as profitable commodities. The northerners, seeing that the south were selling Great Britain and other countries slave-picked cotton, became eerie of foreign relations. Because the northerners didn’t remotely benefit as much as their southern countrymen with slaves, it was indeed pragmatic and pragmatic alone to take measures to ensure its abolishment.
ReplyDeleteI know there are many different opinions of what the motives were of Abolitionist to free the Africans, but I believe that they were really doing it for moral reasons and for the benefit of humanity. In this film I think the most convincing argument that John Q. Adams put forward was how can the Declaration of Independence be valid if all men are truly unequal. Also, after the first time the court decided that the Africans were free and the excitement was within the court room was so pronounced it really showed the support and seriousness that abolitionists had towards their cause.
ReplyDeleteCinque is a powerful character. He's intelligent, persuasive, and kind. For these reasons so many people that interacted with him were enlightened and came to the similar conclusions: If this man is not free than no one should be allowed to be. Cinques character made people recognize that terrible obstacles that he's been forced to face, like the confrontation with the lion or him taking over the ship that was viciously transporting him, and despite these struggles he amazing. He didn't loose hope to someday see his family again and that was shown by him keeping the lions tooth. So I believe Cinque's unwavering strength is what made people want to support him and fight for him
I hope I understand this correctly but in terms of the Africans behavior I think throughout the whole film they were pragmatic. When captured they were confused and scared. On the ship they were really scared and angry to the point they realized they had to kill to survive. And when they arrived in the US they were all three of these emotions, they thought the white sailors were taking them back to Africa and then when they arrived in America they were chained up again and forced to be treated as less then a human being for months again. Cinque used all of these emotions in the court room when he begged for him freedom, he chanted,"Give us, us free!". This scene was so powerful and gave many people within the court room clarity by showing them they are people too, that they can evolve and aren't just the uneducated, non-christians that they are believed to be.
I believe the Abolition movement was acting from a moral standpoint in supporting the passengers of the Amistad. However, at one point in the movie, an abolition member, Tappen, questions whether the Amistad victims would be more useful to the movement if they were convicted and killed which would then then make them martyrs. From a historical perspective, the abolition movement was still seen as a fringe movement in this time period even in the slave-free northern states. If their overall goal was the freeing of all slaves in the United States, their hypothetical action would certainly be pragmatic in creating martyrs to support the cause. Having such high profile news would make people question slavery which had previously been rationalized by religion or economic reasons. The Abolition movement thankfully didn’t create martyrs of the Amistad group and succeeded in allowing them to return to their homes.
ReplyDeleteI think the movie was well done. The film director did a great job of portraying the abolition movement. One strong character was Mr. Baldwin who was very determined to give the salves their deserved freedom. Even though their was a language barrier throughout the whole film, It didn't stop Mr. Baldwin In giving Cinque and the rest of the slaves their freedom. The director deserves a lot of credit because It was portrayed really well.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIn this film I felt the abolitionist movement was portrayed significantly well. Although I wasn't there to verify the validity of it, it seemed to me the actions that were taken during this time would be in relation to of those during other racial movements. What astonished me the most was how little of resources and support the Africans were given. They didn't even speak the same language as Mr.Baldwin, their lawyer. Sadly, the majority of the people involved with this case were against the freeing of the captured Africans. At heart the motives behind many of the arguments given were for selfish reasons. One of them including the possibility of a Civil War. While others simply wanted ownership for money purposes. During this era not many people looked at Africans as people, only property. The way the abolitionists involved with the case went along with procedures very sensibly. They were able to acquire a warrant to search the suspected slave ship and never reacted to the threatening remarks or letters that were directed towards them. As a whole, because of the bravery and level mindedness of these men, the Africans were able to return to their homeland.
ReplyDelete