James Benjamin Covey (c1825-1850) was a sailor who is remembered for his role as an interpreter during legal proceedings in the USA.

Covery was born in Sierra Leone, West Africa. His African name, Kaweli, means “war road” in Mende. It is thought he was kidnapped at the age of 5 or 6 while walking on a road called Kaw-we-li & named by his captors after the road.

3 years later he was sold to a European slaveholder & shipped to Cuba. The slave trade was officially outlawed at the time, the ship was intercepted & the captives, including Covey, were freed.

Covey went into the care of Rev John William Weeks. He later joined the British Royal Navy.

Covey was discovered to be fluent in Mende, a major language of Sierra Leone. Taken to New Haven, he translated the testimonies of 3 Mende-speaking captives in the Amistad civil trial of 1841. His translations helped show that the mutiny resulted from the captives being taunted & threatened with being killed.

Eventually, the case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in United States v. The Amistad that the captives were not slaves, but freeborn men and had legally defended themselves in gaining their freedom.