NEWS & INFO · CLOTILDA
The Clotilda
The last known U.S. slave ship — a powerful testament to resilience, community, and cultural preservation.
THE LAST SLAVE SHIP
A Final Chapter of American Slavery
The Clotilda illegally transported captive Africans to Alabama in 1860 — more than 50 years after the transatlantic slave trade was outlawed. Its arrival and subsequent scuttling mark one of the final chapters of slavery in the United States.
Its survivors would go on to build Africatown, a self-sustaining community north of Mobile that preserved their language and cultural traditions for generations.
KEY FACTS
Type — Schooner (two-masted sailing vessel)
Year built — 1855
Voyage — 1860 (illegal voyage to Alabama)
Captives — about 110 Africans
Wreck confirmed — 2019, Mobile River, Alabama
THE FULL STORY
From Crime to Community to Discovery
Historical Background
Commissioned by Mobile shipbuilder Timothy Meaher and captained by William Foster, the schooner sailed to the Bight of Benin and smuggled Africans into Mobile under cover of night.
Illegal Voyage & Aftermath
To hide the crime, the ship was burned and sunk in the Mobile River. After the Civil War the survivors were emancipated and established Africatown, preserving their language and traditions.
Discovery & Legacy
Long considered legend, the wreck was conclusively identified in 2019 — providing material proof of the final slave voyage to the United States.
CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
A Memorial and a Symbol of Survival
The Clotilda's story has inspired documentaries, museum exhibits, and renewed scholarly and public attention to the human impact of the transatlantic slave trade — both a memorial to those enslaved and a symbol of survival and community resilience.
