Amistad Schooner Getting 'A New Start'

The Amistad Schooner has a new captain at the helm.

A Connecticut superior court judge issued orders on Monday, Nov. 23, that bring to a close the state’s successful legal actions to officially dissolve the now-defunct charitable organization, Amistad America, Inc.

Those actions end a state receivership that has overseen the Amistad schooner since August 2014, according to a prepared statement by state Office of Policy and Management Secretary Ben Barnes and Attorney General George Jepsen.

The Amistad was the organization’s primary asset.

“I am glad the Amistad will get a new start,” said Barnes. “It is an important educational tool about a sad chapter of our nation’s history and a symbol of Connecticut’s commitment to liberty for all.”

A New Non-Profit to Oversee the Ship

When the state of Connecticut became aware of how Amistad America’s tax-exempt status had been revoked by the Internal Revenue Service and that the organization had accumulated significant debts, it sought and was granted receivership.

The receivership allows the state to secure and stabilize the organization’s assets, Barnes said.

A court-approved advisory committee made recommendations about the ship’s future, including the formation of a new non-profit organization to oversee the ship as well as a Connecticut-based, education-centric mission for the new organization.

The new organization, Discovering Amistad, Inc., was incorporated in July 2015. Ownership of the schooner was transferred to the new organization on Nov. 6, 2015, following allocation of state bond funds for the purchase of the ship by the new organization.

Final orders terminating the receivership and dissolving Amistad America were entered by Superior Court Judge Antonio Robaina on November 19.

The Story of the Amistad

The Amistad has historical roots locally. In 1839, the schooner sailed from Havana, carrying 52 enslaved Africans, including four children.

“Onboard the ship, the captives aboard the Amistad staged a successful revolt, took over the ship, and then sailed up the U.S. coast,” according to the New London Maritime Society website.

“In late August, La Amistad was intercepted by the American Navy and brought into New London, CT, where the Amistad freedom fighters caught the attention of a local abolitionist,” the society wrote. “That revolt and the subsequent events gave rise to the famous U.S. Supreme Court case – the first such case to set African captives free.”

‘Continued Vigilance Required’

Attorney General Jepsen said the goal of the receivership is to stabilize the Amistad’s situation and help ensure responsible ownership and governance.

“The prior organization, beset by dysfunction, is dissolved and its debts resolved,” he said. “Discovering Amistad – a new organization better qualified to manage the Amistad – has formed in its place. To be sure, there remain challenges to the Amistad’s future success, which will require continued vigilance. I applaud and thank the new board members for stepping up to accept those challenges.”

(Photos: New London Maritime Society; Patch archives)