By Cudjo Lewis and the Legacy of the Clotilda
The Last Voyage: Cudjo Lewis and the Legacy of the Clotilda
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The history of the transatlantic slave trade is often viewed through the distant lens of centuries past. However, the life of Cudjo “Kazoola” Lewis serves as a profound bridge between the era of human trafficking and the modern age. As one of the final survivors of the illegal slave trade, Lewis’s journey from West Africa to the shores of Alabama highlights a dark chapter of defiance against international law.
​An Illegal Journey Across the Atlantic
​In 1860—over five decades after the United States officially outlawed the international slave trade in 1807 a wealthy mobile businessman made a bet that he could circumvent federal law. The result was the Clotilda, the last known ship to bring enslaved Africans to American soil.
​Cudjo Lewis, born Kazoola, was among the 110-115 captives held in the ship’s hold. This voyage was not merely a crime against humanity; it was a federal crime even by the standards of the time. The traders operated in total secrecy, burning the ship upon arrival to hide the evidence of their illicit cargo.
​From Captivity to the Civil War
​Lewis arrived in Alabama just one year before the outbreak of the American Civil War. His experience was unique; while he was technically enslaved, his presence in the country was the result of a smuggling operation. For years, he labored without a clear understanding of the geopolitical storm brewing around him.
​It wasn’t until the war was well underway that whispers reached the enslaved populations in Alabama. Lewis later recalled hearing that the “North” was fighting a war that would eventually secure his liberty. In April 1865, shortly after the Confederate surrender, his freedom was finally realized when Union soldiers informed him and his peers that they were no longer property, but men.
​The Birth of Africatown
​Cudjo Lewis did not simply fade into the background of history after emancipation. Along with other survivors of the Clotilda, he sought to return to his homeland. When that dream proved financially impossible, they did the next best thing: they created a piece of Africa in Alabama.
​They founded Africatown (now known as Africa Town), a self-governed community where they maintained their native customs, language, and social structures. Lewis became the community’s primary historian, sharing his story with writers and researchers most notably Zora Neale Hurston ensuring that the horrors of the Clotilda and the resilience of its passengers would never be forgotten.
​Legacy of Resilience
​Cudjo Lewis passed away in 1935, leaving behind a narrative that challenges our understanding of how long the machinery of the slave trade actually operated. His life is a testament to the endurance of the human spirit and the importance of preserving cultural identity against all odds.
