We are all born into something, a certain belief or ideology. Others create their own ideologies, either out of conviction or for the purpose of convenience. Our lives revolve around these ideas, these ideologies, for it is through them that we find a certain basis or guide. Some of us are buried deep beneath certain ideologies, some of us remain on the surface, others choose to stay in the middle. But our beliefs, our so called ideologies are very much important to our lives, and to believe in something is truly important for it is what shapes us and what makes us who we are.
Amistad is about a group of Africans who were illegally taken away from their homes and were sold as slaves. They were able to free themselves from their chains and take hold of the ship that was supposed to bring them to the New World. They spared the lives of two men on the ship, which were supposed to guide them back to Africa. But each night the sails were set to a different direction, which landed them in America. It is important to note that the time that Cinque and his men arrived in America was years after the American Revolution, which was fought by the Americans against the British. The main goal of this revolution was to gain freedom, to have a free state. The Americans were able to win this battle for independence, with the ideology or belief that all men are created equal, with inalienable rights to life, liberty and freedom. They bled for this revolution, they bled for freedom, but a few decades after, they have forgotten what they fought and died for. .
The ideology of equality for all men was the driving force of their revolution. But we can clearly see through the movie how the definition of this ideology fluctuates through time and place. They believed in equality but decades after their successful revolution they began to tolerate slavery, especially in the south. This clearly contradicts their belief in equal rights for all men.