Discovering Amistad
The 129-foot schooner is a replica of the 19th century ship, La Amistad, which became widely known for the 1839 uprising of enslaved captives from Sierra Leone who overthrew the crew and commandeered the ship into waters off the coast of New York. Tours of the ship and other public programming will be offered while they are anchored at the Kingston Waterfront. A tour schedule, links to purchase tickets, and information about special events can be found below.
Come by and learn from Discovering Amistad's education team about how the ship was built, the story of the Amistad Rebellion, and how we use the vessel today. The vessel will dock at the Museum’s riverfront marina, where it will be open for public tours, from August 3 through 7, 2024.
Come by and learn from Discovering Amistad's education team about how the ship was built, the story of the Amistad Rebellion, and how we use the vessel today. The vessel will dock at the Museum’s riverfront marina, where it will be open for public tours, from August 3 through 7, 2024.
Plan Your Visit
Amistad will dock at the Museum’s riverfront marina where it will be open for public tours from August 3 through August 7, 2024. Don't miss the opportunity to see this amazing sailing ship!
Tickets are $15 for adults for tours led by a guide and $10 for self-guided deck tours, $5 for children aged 12 and under.
Tickets may be purchased online or at the museum store (purchasing advance tickets online is strongly recommended).
All Amistad ticket holders can visit the Hudson River Maritime Museum for the reduced rate of $5 Adults/Seniors, and Free for 12 years old and under.
Tickets may be purchased online or at the museum store (purchasing advance tickets online is strongly recommended).
All Amistad ticket holders can visit the Hudson River Maritime Museum for the reduced rate of $5 Adults/Seniors, and Free for 12 years old and under.
Tours
GUIDED TOURS
Saturday, August 3-Tuesday, August 6
10am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 3pm and 5:30pm
Led by a guide from the Discovering Amistad crew, this is an hour-long tour of the Amistad, a replica of the historic schooner commandeered by African captives as they fought for freedom in the 1839 Amistad Uprising.
During this 1-hour program, the knowledgeable educators of the organization Discovering Amistad introduce guests to the ship and the story of the Amistad Rebellion, from West Africa to Cuba and the United States. Participants will see how the 53 kidnapped Africans were able to plan and launch a successful rebellion against their illegal enslavement. The relevance of New York and Connecticut history and legacy is highlighted.
$15 Adults
$5 Children under 12 years old
Saturday, August 3-Tuesday, August 6
10am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 3pm and 5:30pm
Led by a guide from the Discovering Amistad crew, this is an hour-long tour of the Amistad, a replica of the historic schooner commandeered by African captives as they fought for freedom in the 1839 Amistad Uprising.
During this 1-hour program, the knowledgeable educators of the organization Discovering Amistad introduce guests to the ship and the story of the Amistad Rebellion, from West Africa to Cuba and the United States. Participants will see how the 53 kidnapped Africans were able to plan and launch a successful rebellion against their illegal enslavement. The relevance of New York and Connecticut history and legacy is highlighted.
$15 Adults
$5 Children under 12 years old
SELF-GUIDED DECK TOURS
Saturday, August 3-Wednesday, August 7
2pm, 2:30pm, 4pm, 4:30pm, and 5pm
Explore the ship and interact with artifacts onboard at your own leisure. In this option, you will be able to walk aboard the deck of the schooner and interact with living history at your own pace. Discovering Amistad's staff members greet visitors and remain available to discuss how and why the re-creation was built, differences with the original, and the ship’s purpose today. Participants will learn about the Amistad story from its beginnings in West Africa, the Middle Passage, rebellion on the ship, and the court trials in the United States.
$10 Adults
$5 Children under 12 years old
Saturday, August 3-Wednesday, August 7
2pm, 2:30pm, 4pm, 4:30pm, and 5pm
Explore the ship and interact with artifacts onboard at your own leisure. In this option, you will be able to walk aboard the deck of the schooner and interact with living history at your own pace. Discovering Amistad's staff members greet visitors and remain available to discuss how and why the re-creation was built, differences with the original, and the ship’s purpose today. Participants will learn about the Amistad story from its beginnings in West Africa, the Middle Passage, rebellion on the ship, and the court trials in the United States.
$10 Adults
$5 Children under 12 years old
Community Open Day
supported by Hudson Valley Credit Union and Stewarts
Wednesday, August 7
10:00AM-8:00PM
On Wednesday. August 7, HRMM and Discovering Amistad will host a Community Open Day. Learn about the Amistad uprising and enjoy pay what you can ship tours, and free live music and entertainment.
Ship tours on Community Day are pay-what-you-can with self-guided tours running every half hour from 10am through 8pm.
On this flexibly-priced day, the schooner is open for self-exploration from 10am through 8pm, with entry every 30 minutes. A reservation is still required; please reserve for each member of your party for the amount that works for your budget. (You can select different amounts for different members of your party; e.g., you may book one person at $10 and three people at $0.)
Wednesday, August 7
10:00AM-8:00PM
On Wednesday. August 7, HRMM and Discovering Amistad will host a Community Open Day. Learn about the Amistad uprising and enjoy pay what you can ship tours, and free live music and entertainment.
Ship tours on Community Day are pay-what-you-can with self-guided tours running every half hour from 10am through 8pm.
On this flexibly-priced day, the schooner is open for self-exploration from 10am through 8pm, with entry every 30 minutes. A reservation is still required; please reserve for each member of your party for the amount that works for your budget. (You can select different amounts for different members of your party; e.g., you may book one person at $10 and three people at $0.)
Entertainment Schedule
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3:00pm Ms. Rene Bailey (Gospel and the Spiritual)
Ms. Bailey has had a remarkable career. She first started singing gospel as a young girl in the church that her family attended back home in Georgia. Moving north to Connecticut, she hit the New York City music scene where she sang blues and jazz. The transition from gospel to nightclub work came naturally. She spent 20 years as a featured vocalist at the Peg Leg Bates Country Club and for an equally long time she has fronted the Saints of Swing. Combining gospel, jazz, and rhythm/blues, she has performed with such great artists as Louis Armstrong, B.B. King, Aretha Franklin, Dave Brubeck, Ruth Brown, Paul Anka, Sam Cooke, and many more. Meanwhile, she kept her church roots, and today she is the music director for Samsonville United Methodist Church. |
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3:30pm Ulster County Poet Laureate, Kate Hymes
Kate Hymes is a writer and poet living in New Paltz, NY. She has led Wallkill Valley Writers workshops for over twenty years. Writers who have written with her have dubbed her the story doula. Her poems have been published in national and regional anthologies, most recently mightier: Poets for Social Justice, published by Calling All Poets, 2020. She is currently working on poems inspired by the history of people of African descent in New Paltz and Ulster County. She serves as Vice President of the Board of the Dr. Margaret Wade-Lewis Center for Black History and Culture. She is the 2024 Ulster County Poet Laureate, the first to be appointed by Arts Mid-Hudson. |
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3:50pm CCE Drummers
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4:10pm Drumsong Orchestra of The Hudson Valley
The Drumsong Orchestra is a community ensemble of Women Drummers and Percussionists from beginner to professional founded by Ubaka Hill—a nationally known percussionist, poet, singer/songwriter, inspirational speaker, visual artist, teaching artist and facilitator of sacred ceremony. The Drumsong Orchestra of the Hudson Valley is a multi-cultural women's drums and percussion performance ensemble. All members participate in regular "playshops" with an opportunity to perform at public events and festivals. All women and all skills levels are welcome to participate. |
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4:40pm Matsiko World Orphans Choir from Liberia
Since 2008, the Matsiko World Orphan Choir has brought together our world's orphaned and vulnerable children to share their story of turning the pain of loss, hunger, and hopelessness into personal empowerment through music, dance, storytelling, and the importance of a complete education to break the cycle of poverty. We believe every child has dignity and worth no matter their background. Matsiko World Orphan Choir uses the unifying power of music to uplift every child, bring joy to all who listen, and to inspire generosity that provides a complete education for vulnerable children. Choir members receive a full tuition scholarship through college or university in their home country, and while on tour receive 1:1 school tutoring, improvement of their English language skills, and a cross-culture experience. |
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5:00pm CCE Dancers and Drummers
Energy is an Award Winning Dance Company of Kingston, NY. Award Winning Energy Dance Company of Kingston, NY has swept the valley with its fresh and entertaining Hip-Hop, Reggae and Latin dance styles. They have won awards at B.E.T’s segment of “Wild Out Wednesday” and “Showtime at the Apollo” at the world famous Apollo Theater. They have competed in The Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic in Columbus, Ohio, winning first place in all four dance categories from youth to adults. In addition, they won first place in Hollywood Dance Competition held in Connecticut. They have performed in the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Culver City, California where they were privileged to dance alongside well known choreographers for various artists. Energy was the opening act for “America’s Best Dance Crew” and was named Albany’s “Number One Dance Crew” in Albany, New York. |
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5:15pm Amadou Diallo
(Duet Drumming, Singing, Storytelling) Amadou Diallo is a percussionist from Senegal West Africa, he has made his home in the Hudson Valley since 2001. Amadou enthusiastically shares his culture with children and adults, since arriving he’s done hundreds of performances, workshops, presentations and classes on West African culture and traditional African rhythms. He has done this for both independently in collaboration with and as a guest artist with other area groups and performers. Amadou teaches children in the TOPs program in the Kingston city school district and has an ongoing adult class in the Living Seed Yoga studio in New Paltz, New York. Amadou‘s classes are in the Djembe tradition and feature hand drums and large stick drums called Dun Duns. |
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5:40pm Maxwell Kofi Donker
(Drumming, Wooden Flute, Storytelling, Singing) Maxwell Kofi Donkor is an internationally recognized artist and master cultural educator who is most known for his performances and teaching in African Drumming and Dance. For many decades, he has focused on building communities through the arts – teaching students of every age about the authentic histories and cultural celebrations which are still observed to this day. A native of Ghana, Africa, Kofi learned drumming at the knee of his grandfather, a master drummer, as well as learning traditional dances. Kofi also makes drums other traditional instruments of Ghana and teaches the arts of relief sculpture, Adinkra symbolism, mask-making, and more. |
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6:20pm Juma Sultan Aboriginal Society
Juma Sultan is a legendary musician, producer, educator and activist whom has collaborated with such luminary artists as Jimi Hendrix, Sonny Simmons, Archie Shepp, Pharaoh Sanders, James “Blood” Ullmer, Dave Burell, Sam Rivers and many more. A prolific sound recordist, Juma personally documented over 1,500 hours of music pertaining to the Loft and Free Jazz Era between the 60’s and 80’s, accumulating what is widely considered one of the most important archives of American Music, and later receiving a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts to help preserve the collection at Clarkson University. Juma Sultan wrote and recorded with Jimi Hendrix from 1968 until the guitarist’s death. His work appears on numerous Hendrix recordings that were released posthumously. In addition to Woodstock, Juma also appeared with Hendrix on the Dick Cavett television show, and many other public appearances. In 1972, Juma formed the New York Musicians Organization (“NYMO”) which organized concerts to protest unfair programming at the Newport Jazz Festival, and also started Studio We, with friend James DuBois, which became an integral part of the Loft Jazz scene – giving musicians a place to perform and develop. In the early 80’s, Juma Sultan worked with the Fairlight CMI, an extremely complicated early version of the sampler. In addition to producing works for it, Juma spent two years rewriting the manual so that musicians without prior technical knowledge could understand it. In addition to serving as an interview subject on countless books and documentaries on the life of Jimi Hendrix, Juma Sultan is the subject of an e-book by Stephen D. Farina, published by Wesleyan University Press, entitled “Reel History:The Lost Archive of Juma Sultan and the Aboriginal Music Society”, which is an imaginative, multimedia work detailing the story of the Aboriginal Music Society and how Juma Sultan’s extensive Jazz recordings came to be archived at Clarkson University |
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Community Open Day is supported by
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Special Events
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Movie Screening: AMISTAD
Homeport Barn Sunday, August 4 6:30PM Steven Speilberg's historic drama starring Morgan Freeman, Nigel Hawthorne, Anthony Hopkins, Dijimon Hounsou and Matthew McConaughey tells the true story of the 1839 slave ship Amistad which set sail from Cuba to America. (1997) Running time: 155 minutes. Please note that Amistad is rated R. Children under 17 must be accompanied by an adult. |
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Lecture: New York and the Amistad Rebellion of 1839
Homeport Barn
Tuesday, August 6
7:00PM
Homeport Barn
Tuesday, August 6
7:00PM
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In August of 1839, the Cuban ship, La Amistad was captured in Montauk, New York, from there, New Yorkers continued to be heavily involved in the fight for freedom for the kidnapped Africans aboard the ship. Most descriptions of the Amistad Rebellion focus on the roles of Connecticut and the Federal government once the African’s arrived in the United States, but New York’s anti-slavery laws and groups had an important impact on the legal battles that took place in the United States.
Presented by Chris Menapace, this lecture will examine the important role New York laws and abolitionists played in shaping the story of the Mende Africans, and helping in their victory over the slave trade. Chris Menapace is the Director of Education at Discovering Amistad, developing and implementing curriculum that focuses on racial and social justice through the story of the Amistad Rebellion. Chris received his M.A in Public History from Central Connecticut State University, focusing on the history of slavery in the North. His goal is to educate students of all ages about the complex history of slavery in all parts of the United States, and to see how this history is connected to the modern day
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A Brief History
In 1839, Mende captives from Sierra Leone took control of the ship, the Amistad. Unable to navigate back to Africa, the ship was captured and towed into the port of New London Harbor in Connecticut. The Mende were faced with slavery or execution, and their cause was taken up by many residents throughout Connecticut. U.S. Circuit and District courts ruled in favor of the Mende. This case was then appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court and in 1841 this court agreed with the lower court decisions and the Mende captives were ordered freed.
The role that Connecticut and its citizens played has been told and retold over the years, and in 1999 a new organization was formed and a recreation of the Amistad ship was built in Mystic, Connecticut and launched in 2000. In 2015, the nonprofit Discovering Amistad was formed to take ownership of the recreation Amistad and has continued its mission to advance racial and social justice today. Embracing the “vision” of freedom the original ship embodied, it serves as a floating classroom to educate people about the history of enslavement and discrimination, and to share the enduring legacy of a group of African adults and children forcibly taken from their homes in West Africa, who were shipped across the Atlantic to be sold into slavery in Cuba, who fought for their liberty on their slave ship and regained their freedom before the US Supreme Court.
The Amistad serves to connect people of all ages with the Amistad story, motivating them to act and work to change systems that perpetuate racism, to ensure human rights for all. Discovering Amistad was founded on the premise that every human life is a story, and that every story deserves to be told.
The role that Connecticut and its citizens played has been told and retold over the years, and in 1999 a new organization was formed and a recreation of the Amistad ship was built in Mystic, Connecticut and launched in 2000. In 2015, the nonprofit Discovering Amistad was formed to take ownership of the recreation Amistad and has continued its mission to advance racial and social justice today. Embracing the “vision” of freedom the original ship embodied, it serves as a floating classroom to educate people about the history of enslavement and discrimination, and to share the enduring legacy of a group of African adults and children forcibly taken from their homes in West Africa, who were shipped across the Atlantic to be sold into slavery in Cuba, who fought for their liberty on their slave ship and regained their freedom before the US Supreme Court.
The Amistad serves to connect people of all ages with the Amistad story, motivating them to act and work to change systems that perpetuate racism, to ensure human rights for all. Discovering Amistad was founded on the premise that every human life is a story, and that every story deserves to be told.
MUSEUM ACCESS
Ticket holders will be able to access the Hudson River Maritime Museum for the discounted rate of $5 per adult and free for children. From August 3-7, the Hudson River Maritime Museum will operate extended hours, remaining open daily from 10am to 6pm.
Ticket holders will be able to access the Hudson River Maritime Museum for the discounted rate of $5 per adult and free for children. From August 3-7, the Hudson River Maritime Museum will operate extended hours, remaining open daily from 10am to 6pm.