Amistad True Story: Everything The Movie Changes

Amistad is based on the true story of what happened on the Spanish slave ship La Amistad in 1839. With the schooner transporting Mende men who were kidnapped from Sierra Leone for the slave trade, the historical drama explores how these enslaved people gained control of the ship as it neared the coast of Cuba. Their struggle against their captors, their subsequent re-apprehension, and the legal battle around their status form the rest of the premise. Amistad is one of Steven Spielberg’s many movies based on real events, but he has a mixed track record in directing true stories, and this is one riddled with historical inaccuracies and creative liberties.