[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 90 (Thursday, July 13, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1220-E1221]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE ARRIVAL OF THE ``AMISTAD'' TO ITS HOME PORT OF NEW HAVEN, 
                              CONNECTICUT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 12, 2000

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker: It is with great pride that I rise today to 
join the thousands gathered in New Haven, Connecticut to welcome the 
Amistad to its home port, commemorating the story of Sengbe Pieh and 
the Mendians kidnaped from what is now Sierra Leone, Africa. The 
Amistad replica will bring to life the legendary events of 1839 so that 
generations of children and adults will understand and share the 
slaves' courageous rebellion aboard ship, their difficult imprisonment, 
and their final vindication by the United States Supreme Court.
  At a time of great division in our society, many New Haven residents 
played a key role in aiding Sengbe Pieh and the Mendians in what became 
a two-year legal and political battle for their freedom. Pastor Simeon 
Jocelyn, Lewis Tappan, and the congregations of the United Church on 
the Green and Dixwell United Church of Christ established the Amistad 
Committee whose mission was to provide for the Mendians' basic needs. 
They

[[Page E1221]]

gathered food and clothing, and arranged for students from the Yale 
Divinity School to teach the Mendians English so that they were able to 
communicate their story to their defenders. Roger Sherman Baldwin, a 
New Haven attorney who later enlisted the aid of former President John 
Quincy Adams, volunteered to defend the captives. Today, a statue of 
Sengbe Pieh stands proudly near the site where he and the other 
Mendians of the Amistad were first imprisoned. New Haven is proud of 
the role it played in this crucial moment in the ongoing struggle for 
human rights and racial harmony. We are honored to have the Amistad 
with us today.
  There are so many wonderful people that have committed themselves to 
this project--their hard work and dedication to this cause has made 
this day possible. My sincere thanks and appreciation to former 
Connecticut Governor Lowell Weicker, responsible for securing the 
initial state funding and support for the project; Al Marder and the 
Amistad Committee, which recreated the original committee that first 
came to the defense of the Amistad slaves; the Connecticut African 
American Historical Society, whose work with the Amistad Committee and 
Governor Weicker established Amistad America; Amistad America, a non-
profit educational corporation that worked with Mystic Seaport to build 
the replica and will continue to operate the ship; and the students and 
faculty of the Sound School in New Haven, who crafted a lifeboat, named 
Margru after one of the four children aboard Amistad, that will now be 
carried on the Amistad replica. The participation and diligent efforts 
of all these groups and talented individuals have produced a tremendous 
contribution to the history of Connecticut and the United States.
  As we reflect on the 161 years of history that has passed since the 
original Amistad landed on our shores, it is important to remind 
ourselves that this continues to be an unfinished journey. In the 
United States, we tore our nation apart in violence before we put an 
end to the institution that brought Sengbe Pieh to these shores. In 
Sierra Leone, it would be more than a century after their native sons 
and daughters left their shores before they would be able to claim the 
right to truly govern themselves. Today, we watch as the United Nations 
and Sierra Leone's African neighbors help in its struggle for peace. If 
the history of the United States and Sierra Leone have taught us 
anything, it is that our journey towards peace, justice, and freedom 
has not yet ended.
  Whether at sea or in port, the Amistad will carry this message to all 
who will hear it. A reminder of an extraordinary moment in our history, 
I applaud the inspired dedication that the New Haven community has 
shown for this project. It is with great pleasure that I stand and add 
my voice to all of those who have gathered today to welcome the Amistad 
home.

                          ____________________