You are here

Archaeologists Search For Wreck Of Slave Ship At Biscayne National Park

Share
Diving on the Mandalay wreck at Biscayne National Park/NPS

A program will be offered at Biscayne National Park this Saturday on the hunt for a slave ship that sank in the Florida Keys in 1827/NPS file

National parks harbor mysteries and surprises, as evidenced by the discovery back in 2014 of a 132-year-old Winchester rifle leaning up against a gnarled old juniper in the backcountry of Great Basin National Park in Nevada. They also contain chapters of history, one of which is being searched for in the waters of Biscayne National Park in Florida.

There park archaeologists are working with an international team of divers to search for the slave ship Guerrero. This ship wrecked in 1827 in the Florida Keys during a battle with a British anti-piracy vessel. Forty-one enslaved Africans died in the wreck. Hundreds of survivors were either recaptured and shipped to Cuba or transported to Key West for eventual settlement in Liberia.

On Saturday, at 6 p.m. at the park's Dante Fascell Visitor Center, a film will be shown about the search for the Guerrero, and archaeologists will be on hand to discuss the search, the Slave Wrecks Project, and other park shipwrecks.

“This event highlights some of the amazing work performed by the international team of archeologists and provides an excellent opportunity to learn about how submerged cultural resources are preserved and protected,” said Josh Marano, the park's archaeological technician.

The search for the Guerrero is being conducted by National Park Service archaeologists who are hosting a field school associated with the Slave Wrecks Project, an international network of researchers led by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Additional partners participating in the project include George Washington University, the Iziko Museums of South Africa, the National Association of Black Scuba Divers and the Diving With a Purpose program.

Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.