The Amistad case was one of the most famous federal cases of the nineteenth century and attracted great public attention at each stage of its movement through the nation's judiciary. The dramatic story of the enslaved Africans who freed themselves from their captors and then sought recognition of their freedom in the federal courts helps to explain the role of the judiciary in the first half of the nineteenth century. The case also transformed the courts into the forum for a national debate on the legal foundations of slavery. The Africans from the Amistad testified in court and were represented by prominent lawyers, including former President John Quincy Adams. The role of the Africans as parties in the case drew attention to the personal tragedies of slavery and attracted new support for the growing anti-slavery movement in the United States.