Amistad

In the beginning of the movie Amistad, slave hunters abducted a large group of Africans from Sierra Leone in Africa and shipped them to Cuba to be traded. The Africans were purchased by Spanish men and put aboard a ship called Amistad. This abduction and trade violated treaties that then existed, because you could not be bought or sold as a slave unless you were a natural-born slave, which they were not. During the journey …

…is exactly what Van Buren did, and this is also an example of checks and balances. The president has the right to appeal a court’s decision. The case went to the Supreme Court, and former President John Quincy Adams argued the Africans’ case. Adams defended the right of the Africans to fight for their freedom. The Supreme Court decided in favor of the Africans, and they were finally aloud to return to their homeland.