One of them had managed to break a padlock, which made itpossible to remove the chain that reeved them together and held them downin the hold below the main deck of the vessel.
I wonder when exactly the slaves decided to escape from their captors? Was it a spur of the moment decision or did they plan this for a period of time. I ask this because we learn later in this article that these individuals, unfortunately, had been in captivity for weeks if not months before this. They were first held in West Africa, shipped to Cuba and then finally were on the Amistad.