The story of the Amistad is well known to most who have studied the history of slavery and race in America. Few, however, know where it all began: at Connecticut’s Old State House, which has sat for more than 200 years in the heart of Hartford.  If these walls could talk, they would tell the story of the original trial over the fate of 53 Africans who mutinied to gain their freedom. Those same walls would recount the first murmurings of secession in the midst of the crisis over the War of 1812, when New England states gathered to assess their loyalty to the still-fledging nation. The Old State House is Connecticut history, but also exists now as a lively center of democracy where Hartfordians gather to discuss and debates some of the most pressing issues in our state and nation.