Amistad replica ship will bring celebration to Lake Erie harbor

ASHTABULA -- The Hubbard House will be bustling Sept. 5 through 7 when a replica of the "Freedom Schooner" Amistad docks nearby in the waters of Lake Erie.
The original Amistad gained fame in 1839 when the ship was at the center of "The Amistad Incident" -- a historical event that involved the kidnapping of 53 Africans.
Famed revolt
While aboard the original Amistad, the kidnapped Africans took part in a revolt and after 63 days at sea, the ship was seized by the United States, and the Africans were taken to Connecticut and placed in jail on charges of mutiny and murder.
The case gained worldwide recognition when former U.S. President John Quincy Adams defended the Africans before the United States Supreme Court.
The court ruled in favor of the kidnapped Africans, and in 1841, the surviving 35 were returned to their homeland.
A painstaking replica of the original Amistad will sail into Ashtabula Harbor on Sept. 4 as part of the Amistad America project.
A three-day celebration will follow.
Highlights
Celebration highlights will include: performances by local high school marching bands; dancing by the Oberlin dance troupe; live jazz, Dixieland and blues music; live music by harpists, banjo players and guitar players; an exhibit of the history of Ashtabula County; and visits by impersonators of Abraham Lincoln and John Brown.
For more information, visit www.amistadashtabula.org on the Web.