Mutineer

Sengbe Pieh - of the tribe

Sengbe Pieh, later known as Joseph Cinque and I are members of the same tribal group in Sierra Leone, with roots in the country going back generations. All throughout my childhood, I read all the stories about him, his tales and his exploits. His brave mutiny aboard the slave ship Amistad led to one of the few legal victories in the fight against slavery and the dreaded slave trade.

He was born in Sierra Leone

 during the height of the slave trade and was captured illegally and sold to Spanish slavers. They were placed on board the Amistad, on which they successfully led a mutiny. They eventually landed in the US where the vessel was boarded by US naval officers.

The slaves on board (with Sengbe as their informal representative) were tried for murder and mutiny, but were eventually acquitted by the US Supreme court. The captured slaves were eventually returned to their hometowns. This was a rare success during what were difficult times. 

He is considered a hero in Sierra Leone and his likeness appears on one of our bank notes.

He fought for and won his freedom.

Greatest Quote:

Live free or Die hard