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[[File:La_Amistad_(ship)_restored.jpg|thumbnail|left|300px350px|<i>La Amistad</i> off Long Island in 1839]]
In August of 1839, the Spanish cargo schooner La Amistad came aground off the coast of Long Island, New York. The United States found itself with an explosive legal and diplomatic case that would pit the American system’s ability to provide justice for all on its shores against the federal government’s ability to enforce its treaty obligations where the jurisdiction of states is involved.