James Covey

James Benjamin Covey (né Kaweli; – 12 October 1850)

Early life Covey was born circa 1825 or 1826 in the southwestern highlands of what is now Sierra Leone, in West Africa. His African name, Kaweli, means "war road" in Mende. At the age of five or six, he was kidnapped in a raid and sold to the wife of a chief of the Bulom tribe.

Three years later he was sold to a European slaver and probably taken to the Lomboko slave camp before transport to the Americas. At a time when the Atlantic slave trade had already been officially outlawed, Covey was illegally shipped to Cuba on board the Spanish ship Segundo Socorro. That ship was intercepted by the British fleet and the captives, including Covey, were freed.

Gibbs took both Covey and Pratt to New Haven, where they were housed under the protection of Lewis Tappan and the committee for the defense of the captives of the Amistad. Knowing this motive was crucial in understanding that the captives acted in self-defense. The case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in United States v. The Amistad that the captives were not slaves, but freeborn men and had legally defended themselves in gaining their freedom.

Later life In November 1841, Covey, along with the 35 Africans of the Amistad, who chose to return to Africa, boarded the ship Gentleman for the voyage. Funds had been raised for them from private sources. The Africans were accompanied to Freetown by an American missionary, William Raymond.

Covey appeared to drift in and out of the Christian missionary communities in Sierra Leone. There is some evidence that he became involved with a local warlord and may have participated in a slaving expedition in 1845. After falling ill, he was shuffled back and forth between the village of Kaw-Mendi and the main mission compound, "America". Covey died on 12 October 1850 and was given a Christian burial.

In popular culture In Steven Spielberg's drama film Amistad (1997), Covey is played by British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor.