Clotilda: The History and Archaeology of the Last Slave Ship

The book "Clotilda : The History and Archaeology of the Last Slave Ship" is the first definitive work to examine the maritime historical and archaeological record of the infamous schooner Clotilda, which was owned by Timothy Meaher and used to carry captured Africans from Benin to Alabama in 1860. The wreck was located in a backwater of the Mobile River and was identified through exhaustive forensic work. The book also offers physical evidence that situates the schooner and its voyage in a larger context of the slave trade and reconstructs its likely appearance and characteristics.

Format: Hardback
Length: 232 pages
Publication date: 07 March 2023
Publisher: The University of Alabama Press

Clotilda : The History and Archaeology of the Last Slave Ship is a groundbreaking work that delves into the maritime historical and archaeological record of one of the most notorious ships in American history. Owned by Alabama businessman Timothy Meaher, Clotilda was equipped to transport captured Africans from what is now Benin and bring them to Alabama in 1860, despite the import of captives for enslavement being banned fifty years prior. To conceal the evidence, Clotilda was set afire and sunk, leaving behind a substantially intact, submerged, and partially buried shipwreck in a backwater of the Mobile River. The site of the wreck remained an open secret to some who knew Meaher, but its identity remained unknown for over a century as various surveys failed to locate the ship.

This volume, authored by the archaeological team that conducted a comprehensive, systematic survey of a forgotten "ship graveyard," details the exhaustive forensic work that conclusively identified the wreck, as well as the stories and secrets that have emerged from the partly burned hulk. James P. Delgado and his coauthors discuss the various searches for Clotilda, sharing the forensic data and other analyses that led them to conclude that this wreck was indeed Clotilda. Additionally, they offer physical evidence not previously shared that places the schooner and its voyage in a larger context of the slave trade.

Clotilda: The History and Archaeology of the Last Slave Ship serves as a nautical biography of the ship as well. After reviewing the maritime trade in and out of Mobile Bay, the authors provide a detailed account of Clotilda's construction, voyages, and final resting place. They also explore the legacy of Clotilda, examining how the ship's history has been interpreted and commemorated over the years.

This groundbreaking work is a must-read for anyone interested in American history, maritime archaeology, or the study of slavery. It sheds new light on a dark chapter of American history and provides a valuable contribution to our understanding of the past.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780817321512