At the time these kidnapped Africans arrived in the United States, the abolitionist movement was on the rise. This movement was against all forms of human enslavement.As media attention and stories about the Amistad passed throughout New York, the abolitionists took a advantage of the attention to publicize their cause. A group know as the Amistad Committee quickly formed. This group fought to ensure that the captive slaves were granted their right to freedom. The surviving crew members argued that the Africans were their legal property and demanded that they be returned. The committee in turn hired a lawyer to represent the Americans.