by Bob Walsh
The Clothilda was the last known ship to bring a load of slaves to North America. An Alabama plantation owner made a bet in 1860 that he could successfully import a batch of slaves. This was long after the IMPORTATION of slaves had been outlawed.
The trip was successful. About 100 slaves were brought in, the ship was moved up the Mobile River after the slaves were unloaded and the ship was burned. These particular slaves formed a city, Africatown, which still exists, when they were freed at the end of the Civil War.
Earlier this year the remains of the ship were discovered. The state has filed an admiralty claim in federal court claiming ownership of the remains in order to protect it from scroungers. The claim, if successful, would grant ownership of the ship to the state, which then plans to transfer it to the Alabama Historical Commission.
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