2nd July 1816, the French frigate "La Méduse", under the incompetent captaincy of the Viscount of Chaumareys, runs aground at the Bank of Arguin off the coast of present-day Mauritania. The forced execution of 400 passengers becomes a panic, with 151 men forced to take refuge on an improvised raft. The raft drifts in the open sea for the next 13 days amidst horrific scenes of riots, murder, drowning by storms, madness, suicide, starvation and eventual cannibalism. After 13 days the raft is discovered with 15 people barely alive. News of the tragedy became widespread with the horrific tales becoming sensationalised through the accounts of the rafts survivors. The scene was immortalised by the French Romantic painter Théodore Géricault in his ‘The Raft of the Medusa’, completed in 1819. 2nd July 1839. Mende Slaves led by Sengbe Pieh aboard the Spanish schooner ‘La Amistad’ revolt and secure their freedom, after jokingly being told by the ship’s cook that they were to be "killed, salted, and cooked". Pieh was the first to unshackle himself and led the rest of the slaves to take the ship, killing both the captain and the cook. Sailing to the east coast of the United States, they were seized by the US ship ‘Washington’. Imprisoned in New Haven Connecticut, their case became a key legal debate in the early fight for abolition. In 1841, the international case known as ‘United States v. The Amistad’, ruled in their favour, and they were freed. You are cordially invited to follow @ofgrave.concern for more dark tales from history, and associated historically inspired art. #darkhistory #theraftofthemedusa #lameduse #navalhistory #theodoregericault #théodoregéricault #macabre #macabrehistory #cannibalism #darkstories #shipwreck #laamistad #slavery #sengbepieh #abolition #abolitionist #19thcentury #19thcenturyhistory #seahistory #sailinghistory #slaveship #gothictales #historicalstory #historicaltales #historystory https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ1MkpnF5MM/?utm_medium=tumblr
