Farmington Historical Society Offers Amistad Walking Tours

FARMINGTON, CT — The Farmington Historical Society is offering a series of guided walking tours this fall highlighting the town’s role in the story of the Amistad captives and their fight for freedom.

The “Odyssey of the Amistad: A Trail to Freedom” tours invite participants to walk in the footsteps of the kidnapped Mende Africans who were brought to Farmington after prevailing in a landmark legal battle over their freedom.

The tours are scheduled for Sept. 12, 19 and 26 and Oct. 3 and 10, according to the historical society. The Oct. 3 tour has reached capacity and is available by waitlist only.

Each tour runs from 10 a.m. to noon and begins at First Church of Christ, 75 Main St. Tours are limited to 25 participants, and advance registration is recommended.

Tickets are $20 for adults ages 19 and older, $15 for seniors ages 65 and older, and $10 for children ages 18 and younger.

The walking tour focuses on Farmington’s connection to the Mende Africans who were kidnapped from West Africa and transported aboard the Spanish schooner Amistad in 1839.

After taking control of the ship, the Africans were captured off Long Island and jailed in Connecticut while their legal status was contested.

The case ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in 1841 that the Africans had been illegally enslaved and were entitled to their freedom.

Following their release, members of the group lived for a period in Farmington while supporters helped them prepare for their return to Africa. The historical society’s tour explores that chapter of the story and the community’s place in their journey.

“Their fight for freedom made history,” the Farmington Historical Society says in promotional material for the tours. “What happened next happened in Farmington.”

Reservations can be made through the Farmington Historical Society at this link.