The Last Known U.S. Slave Ship, the Clotilda, Too Decayed to be Extracted from Alabama Gulf Coast Waters

The last known U.S. slave ship, the Clotilda, has been deemed too decayed and broken to be extracted from the murky waters of the Alabama Gulf Coast, a task force of archaeologists, engineers, and historians announced. The ship, which illegally smuggled 110 Africans to Alabama in 1860, was commissioned by Timothy Meaher and captained by William Foster. After the Civil War, survivors of the Clotilda established Africatown, now known as Plateau.

The task force, led by the Alabama Historical Commission, presented a 500-page report recommending the ship be memorialized underwater to preserve its physical evidence. While some hoped for the ship to be fully excavated and turned into a museum, marine archeologist James Delgado emphasized the importance of protecting the ship as a crime scene.

Descendants of the Clotilda survivors expressed mixed feelings about the preservation plan. Jeremy Ellis, president of the Clotilda Descendants Association, became emotional hearing about the confined chambers where his ancestors were held. While some descendants support the underwater preservation plan, others, like Veda Robbins, prioritize revitalizing the Africatown community over salvaging the ship.

The debate over the Clotilda’s legacy has reignited discussions about reparations and the need for reconciliation and healing for descendants. Zora Neale Hurston’s book “Barracoon” documents the life of Cudjo Lewis, the Clotilda’s last surviving enslaved African, further highlighting the harrowing history of the ship. Ultimately, the task force recommended an underwater preservation plan to protect the ship for an estimated 100 years, acknowledging the impact of climate change on the ship’s decay.