Timothy Meaher (1812 – 3 March 1892) was a wealthy Irish-Americanhuman trafficker, businessman and landowner.[1][2] He built and owned the slave-ship Clotilda[1][3] and was responsible for illegally smuggling the last enslaved Africans into the United States in 1860.[4]
The illegal purchasing and transporting of slaves was made as a bet to see if Meaher could avoid the 1807 Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves.[1] Meaher reportedly described the bet as "a thousand dollars that inside two years I myself can bring a shipful of niggers right into Mobile Bay under the officers' noses."[5] Meaher sold some of the slaves but took the rest to work for his brother James and himself.[6] Meaher had its captain, William Foster (1825 - 1901), burn and scuttleClotilda in Mobile Bay, attempting to destroy evidence of their joint lawbreaking. The wreck was located in 2019.[2]
The slaves were freed in 1865, but Timothy Meaher refused to help them return home or provide reparations.[7][6] He sold them some land where they created the slave colony of Africatown.[7] The United States government attempted to charge Meaher, but due to factors such as difficulty proving the crime and the Civil War, he was never prosecuted.[1] However in 1890, two years before his death, Meaher bragged in a newspaper interview about his slave trading.[2]
Death and legacy
Timothy Meaher died on 3 March 1892 in Mobile, Alabama. He is buried at the Catholic Cemetery in Toulminville, Alabama.[8] The Meaher family is still prominent in Alabama, with Meaher State Park bearing the name, as well as a Meaher Avenue running through Africatown.[1] The family has refused to make any statement "about their sinister ancestor’s crime" or release his personal papers.[7][9] Some of the family members composed a letter with a public statement in October 2022 expressing disapproval of their ancestor's action.[10]
References
^ abcdeReeves, Jay (8 February 2019). "Descendants from last US slave ship gathering in Alabama". AP NEWS. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
^ abcRaines, Ben (23 January 2018). "Wreck found by reporter may be last American slave ship, archaeologists say". AL.com. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
^"The Last American Slave Ship". The Coastal South. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
^Zanolli, Lauren (26 January 2018). "'Still fighting': Africatown, site of last US slave shipment, sues over pollution". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
^Diouf, Sylviane A. (2009). Dreams of Africa in Alabama: The Slave Ship Clotilda and the Story of the Last Africans Brought to America. Oxford University Press. p. 3. ISBN978-0-19-972398-0.
^ abLittle, Becky. "Descendants of Last Slave Ship Still Live in Alabama Community". HISTORY. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
^ abcTabor, Nick (2 May 2018). "Africatown and the 21st-Century Stain of Slavery". Intelligencer. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
^Smith, Kiona N. (2 August 2019). "What will happen to the last slave ship in the US?". Ars Technica. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
^ABC News:October 28, 2022: Family members of the financier of the last American slave ship break silence
Further reading
Dreams of Africa in Alabama: the slave ship "Clotilda" and the story of the last Africans brought to America by Sylviane A Diouf in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
January 17, 2023
timothy, meaher, 1812, march, 1892, wealthy, irish, american, human, trafficker, businessman, landowner, built, owned, slave, ship, clotilda, responsible, illegally, smuggling, last, enslaved, africans, into, united, states, 1860, born1812whitefield, maine, us. Timothy Meaher 1812 3 March 1892 was a wealthy Irish American human trafficker businessman and landowner 1 2 He built and owned the slave ship Clotilda 1 3 and was responsible for illegally smuggling the last enslaved Africans into the United States in 1860 4 Timothy MeaherBorn1812Whitefield Maine USDiedMarch 3 1892Mobile Alabama USOccupationslave trader Contents 1 Slave trade 2 Death and legacy 3 References 4 Further readingSlave trade EditThe illegal purchasing and transporting of slaves was made as a bet to see if Meaher could avoid the 1807 Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves 1 Meaher reportedly described the bet as a thousand dollars that inside two years I myself can bring a shipful of niggers right into Mobile Bay under the officers noses 5 Meaher sold some of the slaves but took the rest to work for his brother James and himself 6 Meaher had its captain William Foster 1825 1901 burn and scuttle Clotilda in Mobile Bay attempting to destroy evidence of their joint lawbreaking The wreck was located in 2019 2 The slaves were freed in 1865 but Timothy Meaher refused to help them return home or provide reparations 7 6 He sold them some land where they created the slave colony of Africatown 7 The United States government attempted to charge Meaher but due to factors such as difficulty proving the crime and the Civil War he was never prosecuted 1 However in 1890 two years before his death Meaher bragged in a newspaper interview about his slave trading 2 Death and legacy EditTimothy Meaher died on 3 March 1892 in Mobile Alabama He is buried at the Catholic Cemetery in Toulminville Alabama 8 The Meaher family is still prominent in Alabama with Meaher State Park bearing the name as well as a Meaher Avenue running through Africatown 1 The family has refused to make any statement about their sinister ancestor s crime or release his personal papers 7 9 Some of the family members composed a letter with a public statement in October 2022 expressing disapproval of their ancestor s action 10 References Edit a b c d e Reeves Jay 8 February 2019 Descendants from last US slave ship gathering in Alabama AP NEWS Retrieved 4 August 2019 a b c Raines Ben 23 January 2018 Wreck found by reporter may be last American slave ship archaeologists say AL com Retrieved 4 August 2019 The Last American Slave Ship The Coastal South Retrieved 4 August 2019 Zanolli Lauren 26 January 2018 Still fighting Africatown site of last US slave shipment sues over pollution The Guardian Retrieved 4 August 2019 Diouf Sylviane A 2009 Dreams of Africa in Alabama The Slave Ship Clotilda and the Story of the Last Africans Brought to America Oxford University Press p 3 ISBN 978 0 19 972398 0 a b Little Becky Descendants of Last Slave Ship Still Live in Alabama Community HISTORY Retrieved 4 August 2019 a b c Tabor Nick 2 May 2018 Africatown and the 21st Century Stain of Slavery Intelligencer Retrieved 4 August 2019 Diouf Sylviane A 2009 Dreams of Africa in Alabama The Slave Ship Clotilda and the Story of the Last Africans Brought to America Oxford University Press p 183 ISBN 9780199723980 Smith Kiona N 2 August 2019 What will happen to the last slave ship in the US Ars Technica Retrieved 4 August 2019 ABC News October 28 2022 Family members of the financier of the last American slave ship break silenceFurther reading EditDreams of Africa in Alabama the slave ship Clotilda and the story of the last Africans brought to America by Sylviane A Diouf in libraries WorldCat catalog Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Timothy Meaher amp oldid 1131220120, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
