In 2015, Discovering Amistad was formed following a recommendation by a State of Connecticut Advisory Committee. The organization purchased the Amistad,
Connecticut's flagship and a replica of the original schooner, in Nov. 2016. Staff and volunteers spent the next year working on the ship, which was in great disrepair.
While the ship was prepared to be Coast Guard compliant, the organization developed interactive, proprietary curriculum that addresses equity and adheres to the most up-to-date national C3 (College, Career and Civic Life) social studies framework.
The lessons begin with the 1839 Amistad Uprising and the subsequent landmark Supreme Court decision and move through the arc of more than 175 years of history - from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Era and up to the present day.
The program is the only one of its kind. With lessons conducted by our specially trained educators in classrooms and aboard the ship, history comes to life as we use the past as a framework for addressing present challenges related to diverse social issues.