The ship La Amistad was originally a cargo ship that was later used as a slave ship. In 1839, Africans being transported as slaves on the ship revolted off the coast of Cuba and took control of the vessel. They forced the Spanish crew to sail east, hoping to return to Africa. The ship was intercepted off the coast of Connecticut and a legal debate ensued over the status of the Africans. The case went to the Supreme Court, which ruled that the Africans had been captured illegally and granted them their freedom.