▁to ▁defend ▁the ▁Afr icans . ▁ ▁Bald win ▁arg ues ▁that ▁the ▁Afr icans ▁had ▁been ▁captured ▁in ▁Africa ▁to ▁be ▁sold ▁in ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁il leg ally . ▁Bald win ▁proves ▁through ▁documents ▁found ▁hidden ▁ab o ard ▁La ▁Am ist ad ▁that ▁the ▁African ▁people ▁were ▁initially ▁cargo ▁belonging ▁to ▁a ▁Portuguese ▁slave ▁ship , ▁the ▁T ec ora . ▁Therefore , ▁the ▁Afr icans ▁were ▁free ▁citizens ▁of ▁another ▁country ▁and ▁not ▁slaves ▁at ▁all . ▁In ▁light ▁of ▁this ▁evidence , ▁the ▁staff ▁of ▁President ▁Van ▁Bur en ▁has ▁the ▁judge ▁pres iding ▁over ▁the ▁case ▁replaced ▁by ▁Judge ▁C og lin , ▁who ▁is ▁younger ▁and ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁impression able ▁and ▁easily ▁influenced . ▁Con sequently , ▁seeking ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁case ▁more ▁personal , ▁on ▁the ▁advice ▁of ▁former ▁American ▁president ▁( and ▁lawyer ) ▁John ▁Qu in cy ▁Adams , ▁Bald win ▁and ▁Jo ad son ▁find ▁James ▁C ove y , ▁a ▁former ▁slave ▁who ▁speak s ▁both ▁M ende ▁and ▁English . ▁Cin que ▁tells ▁his ▁story ▁at ▁trial : ▁Cin que ▁was ▁kid n apped ▁by ▁slave ▁trad ers ▁outside ▁his ▁village , ▁and ▁held ▁in ▁the ▁slave ▁for tr ess ▁of ▁Lomb oko , ▁where ▁thousands ▁of ▁capt ives ▁were ▁held ▁under ▁heavy ▁guard . ▁Cin que ▁and ▁many ▁others ▁were ▁then ▁sold ▁to ▁the ▁T ec ora , ▁where ▁they ▁were ▁held ▁in ▁the ▁brig ▁of ▁the ▁ship . ▁The ▁capt ives ▁were ▁be aten ▁and ▁wh ipped