New Haven Museum

Preserving Local History

Founded in 1862 as the New Haven Colony Historical Society, the New Haven Museum preserves and shares the history of the greater New Haven area. Through exhibitions, public programs, and the resources of the Whitney Library, the museum collects, safeguards, and provides access to materials that document the region’s past.

“Amistad: Retold” – Centering the Voices of the Revolt

The New Haven Museum’s exhibition, Amistad: Retold, highlights the individuals who led the 1839 revolt and their collective struggle for self-determination. The exhibit also explores New Haven’s role as the site of their incarceration and the hub of abolitionist organizing.

Artistic Representations of the Amistad Rebellion

The exhibition features historic and contemporary artistic interpretations of the Amistad story. Key pieces include the museum’s renowned 1840 portrait of Sengbe Pieh by New Haven artist and abolitionist Nathaniel Jocelyn, Hale Woodruff’s 1939 mural studies, the 1970 cover of a Black history comic book, and a serigraph of Jacob Lawrence’s Revolt on the Amistad (1989).

Mapping Resistance and the Slave Trade

A large-scale map traces the voyages of the Amistad rebels, offering insight into the persistent resistance to the transatlantic slave trade in West Africa and beyond. A time-lapse map from slavevoyages.org illustrates the continued expansion of the illegal slave trade during the mid-19th century.

Interactive and Contemporary Elements

Modern technology enhances the exhibition, including a QR code linking to an interactive map that highlights significant Amistad-related sites, particularly in New Haven. These digital elements provide a deeper understanding of the historical events and their lasting impact.

This site is open to the public.