Experts recommend keeping the Clotilda, the last known US slave ship, submerged.

A team of experts from the Alabama Historical Commission recently completed their investigation into the Clotilda, the last ship that brought enslaved Africans to the United States. Their conclusion? Unfortunately, the ship is too deteriorated to be removed from its resting place in the Mobile River. The 500-page report they released recommends that the best way to honor the ship and its history is to leave it underwater.

According to marine archaeologist James Delgado, the Clotilda holds an incredible amount of historical significance. In an interview with The Associated Press, he stated, "There is no other place in the world that offers such tangible evidence of the Clotilda." Delgado and his team approached their investigation in a methodical manner, treating the site as a 'crime scene' in order to gather accurate information.

After the Civil War, 32 freed survivors of the Clotilda founded a community just outside of Mobile, known today as Africatown. However, the ship's captain, William Foster, had a different plan. He sailed the Clotilda to West Africa, where he illegally transported 110 Africans back to Alabama. Upon his return, he attempted to destroy the ship in order to cover up his crime. For years, the Clotilda remained hidden at the bottom of the Mobile River until it was finally discovered in 2019.

The state of Alabama considered the possibility of excavating and converting the Clotilda into a museum. While Delgado believes it is technically feasible to remove parts of the ship, he also acknowledges the immense difficulty and cost associated with such a project. Despite the challenges, some residents of Africatown support the idea of a museum, believing it could bring much-needed revenue to the community and its descendants. However, not everyone agrees.

Patricia Frazier, a descendant of a Clotilda survivor, prefers to keep the ship underwater. "I would rather see a memorial instead. We don't need to spend $30 million to dig up a ship," she stated in an interview with The Associated Press. Frazier believes that the money could be better used to directly benefit the community rather than being spent on excavating the ship. Ultimately, the fate of the Clotilda remains uncertain, but its significance and impact on history will not be forgotten.

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