In 1839, the Amistad, a Cuban slave ship, was overcome by the Africans aboard and pointed back towards Africa.

Amistad Mutiny Turns the TideAlthough the two Cubans left alive to steer the vessel had started pointing the ship north towards American waters, they were quickly found out by an African who knew the position of the stars, and the ship eventually made it back to their motherland, inspiring many other slave revolts on the lucrative slave trade.