Slavery After Abolition: Revolt on the Amelia
On the morning of 20 January 1811, somewhere off the west coast of Africa, the crew aboard the Amelia ordered the ship’s captives onto the deck. Much like every other morning, they planned to impose a strict routine of exercise, meals, and then confinement back belowdecks. But that day, things would be different. As the captives clambered from their confines in the hull and into the morning sun, the crew looked on in horror: they were armed with wooden planks. By nightfall, the ship was under ne