Amistad Incident

On November 25, 1841, Sengbe and thirty-four additional Amistad captives went home. By the time they returned to Africa, in January of 1842, nearly three years had passed since their abduction. James Covey, the interpreter, and five missionaries went with them. (This link is a complete list of the people involved in the story.)

Reports conflict about Sengbe following his return. His village had apparently been destroyed while he was away and his wife, son and two daughters were missing. Some accounts say his family had been sold as slaves and, when Singbe found out, he disappeared into the African interior. Others say he worked as an interpreter for the American Missionary Association in Kaw-Mendi until his death in 1879.

Of the other Amistad captives, one girl (Mar-gru) returned to the United States to study at Oberlin College. She planned to go back to the Mendi mission field after graduation. (The link takes you to an 1859 map.)

Martin Van Buren, whose actions had alienated many northern Democrats, lost the election. John Quincy Adams served in Congress until February 21, 1848 when a stroke caused him to fall to the floor of the House of Representatives. Two days later he was dead. Originally buried at Hancock Cemetery (in Quincy, Massachusetts), his body was moved to its final resting place at United First Parish Church (Unitarian) in Quincy. Note the twenty-four stars on his flag.