The Last Slave Ship: The True Story of How Clotilda Was Found, Her Descendants, and an Extraordinary Reckoning
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-02-10 11:21:47
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Ben Raines
- ISBN：1797138103
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Summary
The incredible true story of the last ship to carry enslaved people to America， the remarkable town its survivors founded after emancipation， and the complicated legacy their descendants carry with them to this day—by the journalist who discovered the ship’s remains。
Fifty years after the Atlantic slave trade was outlawed， the Clotilda became the last ship in history to bring enslaved Africans to the United States。 The ship was scuttled and burned on arrival to hide evidence of the crime， allowing the wealthy perpetrators to escape prosecution。 Despite numerous efforts to find the sunken wreck， Clotilda remained hidden for the next 160 years。 But in 2019， journalist Ben Raines made international news when he successfully concluded his obsessive quest through the swamps of Alabama to uncover one of our nation’s most important historical artifacts。
Traveling from Alabama to the ancient African kingdom of Dahomey in modern-day Benin， Raines recounts the ship’s perilous journey， the story of its rediscovery， and its complex legacy。 Against all odds， Africatown， the Alabama community founded by the captives of the Clotilda， prospered in the Jim Crow South。 Zora Neale Hurston visited in 1927 to interview Cudjo Lewis， telling the story of his enslavement in the New York Times bestseller Barracoon。 And yet the haunting memory of bondage has been passed on through generations。 Clotilda is a ghost haunting three communities—the descendants of those transported into slavery， the descendants of their fellow Africans who sold them， and the descendants of their American enslavers。 This connection binds these groups together to this day。 The descendants of the captain who financed the Clotilda’s journey still live nearby—where， as significant players in the local real estate market， they’ve continued to disenfranchise and impoverish the present-day residents of Africatown。
From these parallel stories emerges a profound depiction of America as it struggles to grapple with the traumatic past of slavery and the ways in which racial oppression continue to this day。 And yet， at its heart， The Last Slave Ship remains optimistic—an epic tale of one community’s triumphs over great adversity and a celebration of the power of human curiosity to uncover the truth about our past and heal its wounds。
Fifty years after the Atlantic slave trade was outlawed， the Clotilda became the last ship in history to bring enslaved Africans to the United States。 The ship was scuttled and burned on arrival to hide evidence of the crime， allowing the wealthy perpetrators to escape prosecution。 Despite numerous efforts to find the sunken wreck， Clotilda remained hidden for the next 160 years。 But in 2019， journalist Ben Raines made international news when he successfully concluded his obsessive quest through the swamps of Alabama to uncover one of our nation’s most important historical artifacts。
Traveling from Alabama to the ancient African kingdom of Dahomey in modern-day Benin， Raines recounts the ship’s perilous journey， the story of its rediscovery， and its complex legacy。 Against all odds， Africatown， the Alabama community founded by the captives of the Clotilda， prospered in the Jim Crow South。 Zora Neale Hurston visited in 1927 to interview Cudjo Lewis， telling the story of his enslavement in the New York Times bestseller Barracoon。 And yet the haunting memory of bondage has been passed on through generations。 Clotilda is a ghost haunting three communities—the descendants of those transported into slavery， the descendants of their fellow Africans who sold them， and the descendants of their American enslavers。 This connection binds these groups together to this day。 The descendants of the captain who financed the Clotilda’s journey still live nearby—where， as significant players in the local real estate market， they’ve continued to disenfranchise and impoverish the present-day residents of Africatown。
From these parallel stories emerges a profound depiction of America as it struggles to grapple with the traumatic past of slavery and the ways in which racial oppression continue to this day。 And yet， at its heart， The Last Slave Ship remains optimistic—an epic tale of one community’s triumphs over great adversity and a celebration of the power of human curiosity to uncover the truth about our past and heal its wounds。
Reviews
Ann
，
Incredibly interesting， fact based research on this ship and the Africans stolen from their homes and kidnapped。 Cudjo， the last living survivor of the slaves， never stopped missing and loving Africa and his home。 He was such an beautiful and loving man。 He suffered great losses after he was freed losing his wife and 5 children but remained a forgiving person。
Martha Meyer
，
Unbelievably good story about the last ship to bring captured Africans to America， the Clotilda！ The author is the journalist and tour boat captain who found the Clotilda after the boat was burned and sunk in 1859， hidden for 160 years。 The author however focuses mostly the story on of the man who financed the trip and whose descendants exploited the people， the sea captain who traveled to Benin to buy people， the Dahomey nation in Benin that captured and sold their neighbors， and most important Unbelievably good story about the last ship to bring captured Africans to America， the Clotilda！ The author is the journalist and tour boat captain who found the Clotilda after the boat was burned and sunk in 1859， hidden for 160 years。 The author however focuses mostly the story on of the man who financed the trip and whose descendants exploited the people， the sea captain who traveled to Benin to buy people， the Dahomey nation in Benin that captured and sold their neighbors， and most importantly， the Africans who arrived in America against their will and how they fought back and built a home for themselves。 It is also a call to action to preserve the ship and the town created by its "cargo，" Africatown。 This story can add to our national conversation just as Ashley's sack or the 1619 project does。 And it is written in thrilling prose， a page-turner as an 160 year old mystery is solved。 。。。more
Camille R
，
I enjoyed 'The Last Slave Ship'， but I think Ben Raines could have gone into deeper detail for certain parts of this story。 The toxic chemicals from the paper mills in Africatown could be its own entire book。 I enjoyed 'The Last Slave Ship'， but I think Ben Raines could have gone into deeper detail for certain parts of this story。 The toxic chemicals from the paper mills in Africatown could be its own entire book。 。。。more
MARY L
，
The true story of the Clotilda。 a ship that left Mobile， Alabama for Africa and returned with 110 slaves。 The descriptions of how the slaves were captured and sold to the Meaher family was horrific。 To avoid detection the ship was burned and sunk。 For 5 years the Africans were slaves looked down upon by American born slaves。 When the Civil War ended， the freed slaves built the town Africatown。 The book details the lives of descendants of the slaves and Meaher family and the discovery of the Clot The true story of the Clotilda。 a ship that left Mobile， Alabama for Africa and returned with 110 slaves。 The descriptions of how the slaves were captured and sold to the Meaher family was horrific。 To avoid detection the ship was burned and sunk。 For 5 years the Africans were slaves looked down upon by American born slaves。 When the Civil War ended， the freed slaves built the town Africatown。 The book details the lives of descendants of the slaves and Meaher family and the discovery of the Clotilda over 150 years later。 This book should be required reading for high school students。 。。。more
Nina DuBois
，
Very very good。 This book is about so much more than solely the Clotilda， but branches out into histories of the people， places， and events that happened surrounding the ship as well。 I learned so much reading this book as well and it was great reading how they went about discovering this information。
Maridith Geuder
，
Well researched and important history。
Penny
，
I'm not a native Mobilian but have called it home for the last 5 years。 I had never heard of the Clotilda until I heard news snippets about its discovery a couple years go。 I was thrilled to get my hands on this detailed account of the history of the individuals stolen from their home and brought here。 It is heartbreaking to hear their stories and I hope a museum to honor these people and their resilience comes to fruition。 It's not enough to rectify the injustices they've suffered， but it would I'm not a native Mobilian but have called it home for the last 5 years。 I had never heard of the Clotilda until I heard news snippets about its discovery a couple years go。 I was thrilled to get my hands on this detailed account of the history of the individuals stolen from their home and brought here。 It is heartbreaking to hear their stories and I hope a museum to honor these people and their resilience comes to fruition。 It's not enough to rectify the injustices they've suffered， but it would be a start。 。。。more
Finney Moore
，
David Magee recommend
Jeanne
，
I sincerely loved this book - experienced so many emotions reading it - true education of slavery and especially in the Mobile， Alabama area。
Emily Koelzer
，