Africatown Historic District, Central Alabama Travel Guide

Africatown, also known as AfricaTown USA and Plateau, is a historic community located just three miles north of downtown Mobile, Alabama [2, 5]. Founded in 1866 by the descendants of 110 West Africans who survived the Clotilda, the last known ship to illegally transport enslaved people to the United States, Africatown stands as a symbol of resilience, self-determination, and cultural preservation [2].In 1860, the Clotilda, a two-masted schooner, stealthily carried its human cargo across the Atlantic, defying the 1807 Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves [2, 5, 11]. Timothy Meaher, a wealthy shipbuilder, made a bet that he could import slaves without being caught [2, 11]. The ship was then burned and scuttled to hide the evidence of the crime [2, 5, 11]. More than 30 of these people, believed to be ethnic Yoruba, Ewe, and Fon, founded and created their own community in what became Africatown [2, 5]. They retained their West African customs and language into the 1950s, while their children and some elders also learned English [2, 5]. Cudjo Kazoola Lewis, a founder of Africatown, lived until 1935 and was long thought to be the last survivor of the slaves from the Clotilda [2, 5].Today, visitors can explore landmarks like the Africatown Heritage House, which shares the stories of the Clotilda survivors and their descendants [2, 6, 15]. The Union Missionary Baptist Church and the Old Plateau Cemetery also offer glimpses into the community's rich history [2, 5, 6]. Visiting Africatown offers an opportunity to learn about a unique chapter in American history, honor the resilience of the Clotilda survivors and their descendants, and support the ongoing efforts to revitalize this historic community [2, 6].