The ''Amitié'' () was a three-masted

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

of approximately 400 tons displacement in the late 18th century. The majority of records regarding the ship come from its transportation of the people who were to become known as

Cajuns The Cajuns (; Louisiana French language, French: ''les Cadjins'' or ''les Cadiens'' ), also known as Louisiana ''Acadians'' (French: ''les Acadiens''), are a Louisiana French people, Louisiana French ethnic group, ethnicity mainly found in t ...

. ''Amitié'' was the fifth of seven ships that took part in the exodus of

Acadians The Acadians (; , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French colonial empire, French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Today, most descendants of Acadians live in either the Northern Americ ...

from France to

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

in 1785. On August 20 of that year, under the command of Captain Joseph Beltrémieux, it departed from the French port of

Nantes Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...

carrying 78 families, a total of 270

, to Louisiana. They arrived at Lafourche on November 8, 1785. Six passengers died during the 80-day voyage after sickness spread through the ship. Additionally 19 individuals appear on the debarkation list who were not recorded at the embarkation at Nantes. The ship was called ''Amitié'' when it departed from France, but was referred to as ''Amistad'' when it arrived in Louisiana, which was then a

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

colony.

References

*Braud, Gérard-Marc ''From Nantes to Louisiana'', La Rainette Inc; English edition, 2001, .

External links

History and passenger manifest"Color" photo of the ship
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amitie Acadian history Age of Sail ships of France Individual sailing vessels History of Louisiana

See also

References

External links