The Final Voyage of the Clotilda: America’s Last Known Slave Ship
The schooner Clotilda stands as a grim historical marker, being the last documented vessel to illegally transport enslaved individuals from Africa to the United States. Built-in 1855 by William Foster, a shipbuilder and captain from Mobile, Alabama, the Clotilda was originally designed for the “Texas trade.” The schooner measured eighty-six feet in length, and twenty-three feet in breadth, and had a carrying capacity of 120 81/91 tons. Though not initially intended for human trafficking, it was capable of accommodating up to 190 people. In 1860, Foster sold the ship to Timothy Meaher, a wealthy businessman in Mobile, for $35,000. Meaher had approached Foster with plans for an illicit voyage to transport enslaved Africans from Ouidah, a port in Dahomey (modern-day Benin), despite the international and domestic bans on the transatlantic slave trade.
In preparation for the journey, the Clotilda was stocked with provisions that included 125 barrels of water, 25 casks of rice, 30 casks of beef, 40 pounds of pork, 3 barrels of sugar, 25 barrels of flour, 4 barrels of bread, 4 barrels of molasses, and 80 casks of rum. Additionally, $9,000 in gold—equivalent to approximately $185,000 today—was allocated for the purchase of African captives. These supplies were concealed beneath stacks of lumber, which would later serve as materials for constructing makeshift planks and platforms to house the captives during their harrowing journey.
The Clotilda departed Mobile under the guise of transporting lumber to the Danish Virgin Islands on March 3, 1860. The voyage to Ouidah spanned two and a half months and was fraught with challenges. The crew endured a violent storm and narrowly escaped attacks by pirates and ships from other slaving nations. During a brief stop in Cape Verde for repairs, the crew discovered the true purpose of the mission when they came across the hidden provisions intended for transporting enslaved individuals. On May 15, 1860, the Clotilda reached Ouidah. After anchoring offshore for more than a week, Foster and his crew negotiated with local traders and ultimately acquired 110 African captives. v then set sail back to the United States. The conditions aboard were appalling; the captives were confined below deck in complete darkness for the first thirteen days of the return voyage. Later in the journey, they were allowed above deck but endured severe hardships, including limited rations. Survivors later recounted being given only small sips of vinegar-treated water twice daily during the forty-five-day trip.
The Clotilda entered American waters on July 8, 1860, arriving at Mississippi Sound near Point-of-Pines in Grand Bay. To avoid detection under darkness, the ship was discreetly maneuvered up the Mobile River to Twelve-Mile Island. There, the African captives were transferred to another vessel, the Czar, and transported further upriver to be distributed among their new owners. To erase evidence of their illegal activities, William Foster set fire to the Clotilda after its cargo had been offloaded. Although he later claimed to have sold the ship for $6,000, historical accounts suggest that it was deliberately destroyed to conceal its role in human trafficking. The remains of the vessel were long thought lost until recent archaeological efforts confirmed its discovery in Alabama’s Mobile River. The story of Clotilda serves as a stark reminder of one of history’s darkest chapters—the transatlantic slave trade—and underscores the enduring impact of this inhumane practice on generations of individuals and communities.