By Madeline Bonner, Monuments Toolkit
Approximately 35 miles west of Key West, Florida, a monument sits on the ocean floor, marking the wreck site of a ship named the Henrietta Marie. The concrete monument is also a small living reef due to the accumulation of coral and marine life on its surface since 1993.
The Henrietta Marie
In 1700, an English merchant ship trafficking enslaved people of African descent wrecked at New Ground Reef west of Key West, Florida. At this point in its voyage, the Henrietta Marie was returning to England carrying only supplies and crew. Today, a monument in memory of the enslaved people forced to sail aboard the Henrietta Marie and others ships involved in the Transatlantic Slave Trade stands near the wreck site.
The site was first located in 1972 by divers working for Mel Fisher and a team of archaeologists returned to the wreck to begin excavation in 1983.
The Henrietta Marie was identified when divers located the ship’s bell featuring its name cast in bronze. Historical records facilitated the discovery of the ship’s history as a London-based ship engaged in trafficking enslaved African people. The ship would travel from England to the West African coast and the Americas before returning home.
In 1700, the Henrietta Marie reached Carlisle Bay, Barbados, and Port Royal, Jamaica, where hundreds of kidnapped and enslaved people were forced to remain. At the time of the wreck, the ship was occupied by crew members making the return voyage. All of those aboard the ship perished.
Over 80 sets of shackles, glass trade beads, ivory, pewter items, and two cannons are among the tangible heritage found at the wreck site. Today, artifacts from the ship are held in the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum’s collection.
The Monument
The concrete monument was placed near the wreck site of the Henrietta Marie on May 15, 1993, by the National Association of Black Scuba Divers (NABS). The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, who had conducted the archaeological excavation of the Henrietta Marie, helped facilitate the monument’s placement.
The bronze plaque fastened to the concrete block states:
Henrietta Marie.
In memory and recognition of the courage, pain and suffering of enslaved African people.
“Speak her name and gently touch the souls of our ancestors.”
Dedicated November 15, 1992.
At the placement of the memorial, Ozwald Sykes, Chairman of the NABS Henrietta Marie Committee, stated, “Even though no Africans were aboard the Henrietta Marie when she sank on this reef, we believe the spirits of a multitude of African people who died in transit are still with this sunken vessel. By remembering the slaves who sailed on this ship we can more fundamentally personalize the slave trade issue. We can call her by name, we know she existed, we can document her past, we can this day gently touch the souls of our ancestors.”
Monumental Space Underwater
The monument distinguishes the wreck site of the Henrietta Marie from the endless expanse of the sea floor, honoring the power of place. It is not visible to many, but that does not impact the memorial’s purpose. The monument and the living reef marks the history buried for over 250 years and ensures that the significance of the place is never again lost.
For More Information
Michael Cottman’s book, “Shackles From the Deep:Tracing the Path of a Sunken Slave Ship, a Bitter Past, and a Rich Legacy”, provides more information on the story of the Henrietta Marie and the legacy of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum’s website expands on the archaeological research conducted at the wreck site. Artifacts from the ship are currently on display in the museum’s “Spirits of the Passage” exhibition.