Reading Into History: Book Chat on The Last Slave Ship by Ben Raines

13 Depot Square,Lexington MA 02420

10 January, 2023

Description

Africatown, Alabama, was founded by those who had survived the voyage of the last ship to carry enslaved people across the Atlantic to the United States. Fifty years after the slave trade was abolished, the ship Clotilda made the crossing from Benin, before being burned when its true purpose was discovered. For over a century, the exact location and the story of this ship were lost to history, but in 2019, journalist Ben Raines made the astonishing discovery of the wreck. He has spent the years since tracing its journey, the stories of the people it carried, and those of their descendants, into the present day. Join us in a discussion of this fascinating book, the history of the American slave trade, and the perseverance of historians in uncovering and sharing a wider scope of American history. Doors will open at 6:30 PM for refreshments, followed by a 7:00 discussion.