The Clotilda
The Last American Slave Ship
Just north of downtown Mobile, in the muddy banks of the Mobile River, lies the wreckage of the schooner Clotilda, the last known slave ship to enter the United States.
Under the cover of night in the summer of 1860, a ship carrying 110 African captives slipped into Mobile Bay. The Clotilda, the last known American slave ship, made its illegal voyage 52 years after the international slave trade was outlawed. In the years to come, the displaced Africans survived enslavement and established a community as free Americans. They maintained their African identities, creating the tight-knit, independent community known as Africatown (just north of downtown Mobile).
In 2019, it was announced that the Clotilda had been discovered at the bottom of the Mobile River: a tangible link to the names and stories passed down through generations of descendants. The ship’s remains are a testament to the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade. The story of the people and the community of Africatown, however, is one of survival and resilience.
To learn more about the Clotilda story visit
Clotilda: The Exhibition at the Africatown Heritage House HERE
Media Coverage
Africatown Heritage House earns recognition in USA TODAY's 2024 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
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The Africatown Heritage House has earned national recognition as one of USA TODAY’s…
Mobile's Newest Museum Honors The Survivors Of The Last Transatlantic Slave Ship
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Clotilda: The Exhibition opened on July 8 in Africatown in Mobile, Alabama. This exhibit, showcased…
New Exhibition Tells the Story of the ‘Clotilda,’ the Last Known American Slave Ship
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In 1808, Congress banned the importation of enslaved individuals—but the new law…
The Last U.S. Slave Ship Arrived in Alabama 163 Years Ago
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The Clotilda, the last known U.S. slave ship, arrived in Mobile, Alabama, in 1860 with 110 enslaved…
Surviving Clotilda | Trailer
The last slave ship ever to reach America’s shores, the brash captain who built and sailed her, the…