Henrietta Marie facts for kids
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The Henrietta Marie was a slave ship. This means it was a ship used to transport African people who had been captured and forced into slavery. These people were taken to the West Indies to be sold. The ship sank near Florida on its way back to England. It is one of the few slave ship wrecks that archaeologists have found and identified.
Contents
| History | |
|---|---|
 France |
|
| Fate | Captured by English in War of the Grand Alliance. |
 England |
|
| Port of registry | London |
| Fate | Sank in 1700; discovered by magnetometer survey in 1972 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Slave ship |
| Tons burthen | 120 (bm) |
| Length | 60 to 80 feet (18 to 24 m) |
The Ship's History
The Henrietta Marie had a crew of about 18 men. It was likely built in France during the 1600s. The English took control of the ship in the late 1600s. This might have happened during a war called the War of the Grand Alliance. After this, the ship became part of the Atlantic slave trade.
Voyages of the Henrietta Marie
The ship made at least two trips carrying enslaved Africans to the West Indies.
- Its first known voyage was in 1697-1698. On this trip, the ship carried over 200 people from Africa. They were sold into slavery in Barbados.
- In 1699, the Henrietta Marie began another journey from England. This was the first part of the triangular trade route. The ship carried goods like iron, copper, pewter, glass beads, cloth, and brandy. These items were used to trade for captives in Africa.
The ship sailed under a special permit from the Royal African Company. This company controlled English trade with Africa. The Henrietta Marie traded for African captives at New Calabar in Africa.
Then, the ship sailed on the second part of its journey, from Africa to the West Indies. In May 1700, it arrived in Port Royal, Jamaica. Here, 191 enslaved Africans were sold.
After selling its human cargo, the Henrietta Marie loaded up with sugar, cotton, dyewoods, and ginger. These goods were to be taken back to England. This was the third part of the triangular trade route.
The Shipwreck
After leaving Port Royal, the ship sailed towards the Yucatán Channel. This route helped ships avoid pirates near Cuba and Hispaniola. It also allowed them to catch the Gulf Stream, a strong ocean current.
However, the Henrietta Marie wrecked on New Ground Reef. This reef is near the Marquesas Keys, about 35 miles (56 km) west of Key West. No one on board survived the wreck. For almost 300 years, no one knew what happened to the ship.
Discovery and Exploration
The wreck of the Henrietta Marie was found in 1972. A special boat using a magnetometer (a device that detects metal) located it. This boat belonged to a company searching for other sunken ships.
First Finds and Identification
During the first visit, two anchors and a cannon were found. More items were collected in 1973. These included bilboes, which are iron shackles used to restrain enslaved people. When the searchers realized it was a slave ship, not a treasure ship, they reburied the items and left the site.
From 1983 to 1985, more detailed work was done on the wreck. An archaeologist named David Moore helped with this. The ship was finally identified when a bronze ship's bell was found. The bell had the words The Henrietta Marie 1699 on it. Since then, archaeologists have continued to study the wreck site.
Artifacts from the Wreck
The Henrietta Marie wreck has given us more than 7,000 objects. This includes over 30,000 glass beads. This is the largest collection of items ever found from a slave ship. These artifacts help us understand more about slave ships and the slave trade.
- Bilboes: More than 80 parts of bilboes were found. Since bilboes were used to shackle two enslaved people together, these could have held over 160 people.
- Trade Goods: Many trade goods were found. These were likely left over from trading for captives in Africa.
- Other Items: An elephant tusk was also found, which was probably acquired in Africa. Ship gear and crew belongings were also recovered.
- Ship's Hull: Parts of the ship's hull, including the keel and stern post, have survived. They have been measured and then reburied to protect them.
Cooking on Board
Two copper cooking pots were found at the wreck site. These pots tell us about the food eaten by the crew and the enslaved people.
- One large pot was probably used to make a simple mush or gruel for the enslaved people. Since there were no enslaved people on the ship when it sank, this pot was being used to store chains.
- The second, smaller pot had two sections. This pot might have been used to cook a two-course meal for the crew.
Legacy of the Henrietta Marie
The Henrietta Marie is an important reminder of the slave trade.
In May 1993, a group called the National Association of Black Scuba Divers placed a memorial plaque at the wreck site. The plaque faces Africa and says: “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."
Dr. Colin Palmer, a historian, said that the Henrietta Marie helps us understand the history of Black people. He said it is important for "recovering the black experience."
Exhibitions and Documentaries
- A documentary film called Slave Ship: The Testimony of the Henrietta Marie was made in 1995. It was narrated by Cornel West.
- The ship was also shown on the History Channel show Deep Sea Detectives.
- The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum created an exhibition called "A Slave Ship Speaks: the Wreck of the Henrietta Marie" in 1995. This exhibit traveled to museums across the United States for over ten years.
- A new exhibition, "Spirits of the Passage," began touring North America in 2019. It includes many artifacts from the Henrietta Marie.
- The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum also created the Florida Slave Trade Center. This is an online database and exhibition. It features all the artifacts from the Henrietta Marie and other items from the museum's collection about the slave trade.
