From 1972 to 2001, extensive archaeological research was performed at the shipwreck of the Henrie... more From 1972 to 2001, extensive archaeological research was performed at the shipwreck of the Henrietta Marie, a London-based slave ship sunk in 1700 at remote New Ground Reef in the western Florida Keys. Between 2001 and 2003, to build upon the earlier investigations, the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum and the RPM Nautical Foundation conducted magnetometer surveys across New Ground with the hope of locating historic shipwrecks, but with a particular focus on finding missing portions of the Henrietta Marie. Multiple magnetic anomalies were detected in these surveys, and many appeared to relate to the wrecked slave ship. When a sampling of buried anomalies was tested by excavation, all that was revealed was evidence of fire within a submerged paleo-landscape. This presentation by Dr. Corey Malcom, MFMM Director of Archaeology, details the research and works toward understanding the unusual discoveries.
In 1860, the New Orleans-based schooner Peter Mowell wrecked on the shore of Lynyard Cay in The B... more In 1860, the New Orleans-based schooner Peter Mowell wrecked on the shore of Lynyard Cay in The Bahamas while attempting to carry 400 captive African people to Cuba. Bahamian wreckers rescued the survivors and took them to Nassau: the crew was jailed, and the Africans were made indentured servants. After completing their indentures, the shipwrecked Africans blended into Bahamian society but retained a distinctive “Congo” identity. In 2012, a Bahamian/US research partnership located the remains of the Peter Mowell. The wreck site was surveyed and artifacts recovered for display. Descendants from the various groups tied to the Peter Mowell – from Africans, to crew, to wreckers – have been identified, making the shipwreck a living part of our modern world. Today, the Peter Mowell is featured in Nassau’s Pompey Museum of Slavery and Emancipation. This lecture was originally presented in 2018 at the Society for Historical Archaeology’s annual conference and at the University of The Bahamas.
This presentation gives an overview of the research processes that led to the identification of a... more This presentation gives an overview of the research processes that led to the identification of an unidentified shipwreck Found off Grand Bahama Island as that of the Santa Clara, sunk in 1564. The long-lost ship was owned by Pedro Menendez de Aviles, the famed Spanish mariner who is best remembered for establishing the first enduring European colony in North America at St. Augustine, Florida. Menendez was not with Santa Clara when it sank, but the shipwreck tells of the world in which he operated. And it illustrates details of Spain’s transatlantic system as it transitioned from conquest to commerce. The shipwreck was initially called the “St. Johns Bahamas Wreck,” because it was discovered by St. Johns Expeditions, a Florida-based shipwreck salvage company. In a unique arrangement, St. Johns turned their discovery to the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum for a wholly archaeological study; the artifact collection to remain intact in both Key West and The Bahamas.
On December 19, 1827, the Havana-based pirate slave ship Guerrero wrecked on a reef off Key Largo... more On December 19, 1827, the Havana-based pirate slave ship Guerrero wrecked on a reef off Key Largo, Florida, while being chased by the British Royal Navy schooner HMS Nimble. The wreck of Guerrero was tragic: forty-one of the 561 captive Africans on the ship drowned when it sank. The survivors were rescued, and items were salvaged from the wreck, but Guerrero never sailed again. Nimble grounded, too, but refloated after jettisoning iron ballast, shot, and a gun. In 2003, archaeological surveys began in the areas where the 1827 events occurred, and a shipwreck was located that matches what is known about Guerrero. Another site consisting of iron shot and iron ballast was found nearby. This presentation by Dr. Corey Malcom, Director of Archaeology for the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, gives an overview of the long running project and explains what has been revealed about the underwater sites, as well as the connections between the historical and archaeological evidence.
The 1622 Tierra Firme fleet is best known for the modern-day discoveries of the shipwrecked treas... more The 1622 Tierra Firme fleet is best known for the modern-day discoveries of the shipwrecked treasure galleons Nuestra Señora de Atocha and Santa Margarita. But the background of the fleet and its ships is not as well-known. In this video, Dr. Corey Malcom, Director of Archaeology at the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Key West, Florida, presents an overview of the history of the 1622 ships from within the context of the Spanish-colonial period. This presentation explores the story of the fleet from the time the ships sailed, to the disaster that befell them, to the various attempts by Spanish salvagers to find the shipwrecks.
Florida Keys History Center Occasional Papers No.2, 2024
In July of 1733, Spain’s Nueva España flota, carrying silver and other cargoes from Mexico, saile... more In July of 1733, Spain’s Nueva España flota, carrying silver and other cargoes from Mexico, sailed from Havana, Cuba bound for Cadiz. Two days into the journey, the ships were struck by a hurricane and twenty of them were sunk along the reefs of the Florida Keys. Rescue teams quickly arrived from Havana to begin saving people and treasure. The crews of English ships traveling the Gulf Stream current saw the wrecks and the recovery efforts and carried news of the disaster home. Their eyewitness accounts were published in various London newspapers, which led to a year-long stream of reporting on the disaster, the first sustained news reporting of events from the Florida Keys. This annotated and transcribed survey of news articles about the 1733 fleet found in the British Museum’s Burney Collection of eighteenth-century newspapers offers new insight into the story of the 1733 fleet and the practices and role of early journalism in spreading news from a then-distant corner of the world.
Florida Keys History Center Occasional Papers No.1, 2023
Henry A. Patterson, a New York City hardware clerk, kept a diary during a four-month stay at Key ... more Henry A. Patterson, a New York City hardware clerk, kept a diary during a four-month stay at Key West, Florida in 1843, while he visited family on the island and tended to business interests. Because of the length of his stay and his quasi-insider status, Patterson's entries offer exceptionally detailed descriptions of Florida Keys society, culture, economics, recreation, and travel. This transcript of Henry A. Patterson's diary-annotated and illustrated with contemporaneous images-brings new life to a long-lost chapter of the written record from the Florida Keys during the territorial period.
Mel Fisher Maritime Museum Occcasional Papers No.3, 2022
From 1972 to 2001, extensive archaeological research was performed at the shipwreck of the Henrie... more From 1972 to 2001, extensive archaeological research was performed at the shipwreck of the Henrietta Marie, a London-based slave ship sunk in 1700 at remote New Ground Reef in the western Florida Keys. Between 2001 and 2003, to build upon the earlier investigations, the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum and the RPM Nautical Foundation conducted magnetometer surveys across New Ground with the hope of locating historic shipwrecks, but with a particular focus on finding missing portions of the Henrietta Marie. Multiple magnetic anomalies were detected in these surveys, and many appeared to relate to the wrecked slaver. When a sampling of buried anomalies was tested by excavation, all that was revealed was evidence of fire within a submerged paleo-landscape. This paper details the research and works toward understanding the unusual discoveries.
Mel Fisher Maritime Museum Occasional Papers, No.2, 2021
A large collection of wrought iron restraints recovered from the wreck of the London-based mercha... more A large collection of wrought iron restraints recovered from the wreck of the London-based merchant slave ship Henrietta Marie, sunk in the Florida Keys in 1700, goes to the heart of the transatlantic slave trade. The devices, of a long-used design and called “bilboes,” held people captive on board the ship, prevented them from resisting their situation, and helped to ensure they were delivered without incident for sale in the Americas. A review of the history of bilboes, and a close look at the examples from the Henrietta Marie site, yields an understanding of the devices and the role they played in slave trading voyages.
(Note: This publication utilizes 3D-PDF technology. After download, it is best viewed on an electronic PDF reader. To enable 3D-PDF content, in your PDF reader, go to Edit > Preferences > check "Enable playing of 3D content".)
Mel Fisher Maritime Museum Occasional Papers, No.1, 2019
An examination of the people onboard the 1622 galleons Nuestra Señora de Atocha and Santa Margari... more An examination of the people onboard the 1622 galleons Nuestra Señora de Atocha and Santa Margarita and the disaster that befell them. In September of 1622, the Spanish Tierra Firme fleet was struck by a hurricane one day after it had left Havana, Cuba. The twenty-eight ships were battered by the storm, and seven of them were sunk near the Florida Keys. The disaster was a tremendous loss for Spain, with hundreds of people killed and valuable cargoes dashed to the bottom of the sea. This study is centered on an account of the tragedy that was written in Havana in November of 1622, which details the disaster and the people on the galleons Nuestra Señora de Atocha and Santa Margarita. This relation is supplemented by other, more detailed lists of people found in the Archives of the Indies in Seville. Further investigations into the individual life-histories of those on the two doomed galleons give a fuller understanding of who these people were, why they were sailing, and how their presence is sometimes recognized in the archaeological record.
In 1595, a Spanish survey team left Havana to reconnoiter the waters, reefs, and coastlines betwe... more In 1595, a Spanish survey team left Havana to reconnoiter the waters, reefs, and coastlines between Cuba, the Bahamas, and Florida, to gain a better, more-formal understanding of the area. The results of their successful survey were presented in a letter from Juan Maldonado Barnuevo , Governor of Cuba, to King Philip II. That letter is found today in the Archivo General de Indias in Seville. This annotated, English translation of the survey report helps to put the document in context for the modern reader.
In the summer of 1991, St. Johns Expeditions, a Florida-based marine salvage company, discov... more In the summer of 1991, St. Johns Expeditions, a Florida-based marine salvage company, discovered a shipwreck buried behind a shallow reef along the western edge of the Little Bahama Bank. The group contacted archaeologists to ascertain the significance of the discovery, and it was soon determined to be a Spanish ship dating to the 1500’s. The investigation of the shipwreck was entrusted to the author, working for the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society (MFMHS), a not-for-profit research center based in Key West, Florida. Between 1992 and 1999, the MFMHS conducted six excavations to examine and document the shipwreck. Careful analysis of the shipwreck shows that the sizeable vessel sailed between 1555 and 1575 and had touched at Tierra Firme (Colombia and Panama) before sinking during a return voyage to Spain. By comparing the archaeological evidence to the historical record, it becomes clear that the St. Johns shipwreck is the Santa Clara, a 300-ton Carrera de Indias galleon owned by the famed Spanish mariner Pedro Menéndez de Avilés. While returning to Spain in October of 1564, the ship grounded on a reef in the western Bahamas and could not be freed. Its cargo of silver and the people on board were safely removed to an accompanying vessel, and the Santa Clara was abandoned. With the identity and specific circumstances of the shipwreck known, it serves as an important touchstone in the understanding of the early Spanish colonial system.
From 2003 to 2005, magnetometer surveys were conducted across reefs surrounding Turtle Harbor nea... more From 2003 to 2005, magnetometer surveys were conducted across reefs surrounding Turtle Harbor near North Key Largo, Florida. These surveys were designed to document any and all cultural resources in the area, but they were also done with an interest in locating materials relating to the 1827 wreck of the Havana-based pirate-slaver Guerrero, which the historical record indicates was lost in the area. During the survey some 82 anomalies were detected and investigated, and three matched aspects of the 1827 story: a shipwreck site similar to Guerrero, a deposit of iron ballast and shot like that jettisoned by the British Royal Navy’s HMS Nimble, and an anchor possibly from Nimble. From 2005 through 2014, there were multiple follow-up investigations, including detailed survey and mapping expeditions in 2010 and 2012. The closer looks at the sites, and the many additional artifacts encountered during these various examinations, support the idea that they relate to the 1827 saga.
In July of 1860, the American schooner Peter Mowell wrecked along the shore of Lynyard Cay in the... more In July of 1860, the American schooner Peter Mowell wrecked along the shore of Lynyard Cay in the northeastern Bahamas, while attempting to carry 400 African people into slavery. Abaconian wreckers rescued the crew and almost all of the Africans and carried them to Nassau. The crew was eventually released, but the Africans were made indentured servants. After completing their terms of indenture, the shipwrecked Africans were incorporated into the general population of the Bahamas, but they maintained many distinctive traditions from their homelands. This brief history of the Peter Mowell was written to assist a partnership of historians, archaeologists, and museum professionals from the Bahamas and the US in the development of the story of the slave ship and the location of its wreck.
A map of the Florida Keys that appears to date to the 1730’s is found in the Archivo General de I... more A map of the Florida Keys that appears to date to the 1730’s is found in the Archivo General de Indias, Seville. Analysis of the chart reveals much about the wrecked New Spain fleet of 1733, and the geographical knowledge of the island chain in the Spanish Colonial period.
This brief article looks at two cooking cauldrons recovered from the wreck of a slave ship and ho... more This brief article looks at two cooking cauldrons recovered from the wreck of a slave ship and how they represent the two distinct populations onboard.
In 1860, the ships Wildfire, William, and Bogota, were intercepted by the US Navy in efforts to s... more In 1860, the ships Wildfire, William, and Bogota, were intercepted by the US Navy in efforts to stop the slave trade. These American-owned vessels were bound for Cuba, to sell their human cargoes to the sugar plantations there. The seized ships were brought to Key West, Florida, carrying a total of 1,432 African people. The island community, led by US Marshal Fernando Moreno, provided housing, clothing, food, and medical attention for them. For eighty-five days the newly-liberated refugees found shelter at the island. But, because of the horrific conditions they had suffered on the slave ships, many of the Africans were quite ill; 295 of them died while at Key West. The dead were buried on the southern shore of the island. The surviving Africans eventually left Key West on ships chartered through the American Colonization Society, for a new life in Liberia. With the interrupted missions of the Wildfire, the William, and the Bogota – among the last slave ships to touch on American shores – the transatlantic slave trade, an institution nearly four centuries old, was coming to a close. Today, after archaeological surveys located the site, the Key West African Cemetery is recognized by an interpretive monument, and the story of the Africans of 1860 is remembered as an important part of the island’s heritage.
A study of folding knives recovered from the Spanish 1622 galleons Nuestra Señora de Atocha and S... more A study of folding knives recovered from the Spanish 1622 galleons Nuestra Señora de Atocha and Santa Margarita.
From the founding of the town of Key West, Florida in the early 1820’s, through to the 1860’s, th... more From the founding of the town of Key West, Florida in the early 1820’s, through to the 1860’s, the island’s southern shore was the location for some of the community’s cemeteries. These cemeteries include a military one established by Commodore David Porter, the first municipal cemetery, and the African Cemetery of 1860. With the African Cemetery excepted, there is confusion as to exactly where these burial grounds were located, or what might remain from them, primarily because of a vague historical record, damage by hurricanes, and reburials. This study reviews the available information regarding these early Key West “South Beach” burial grounds.
From 1972 to 2001, extensive archaeological research was performed at the shipwreck of the Henrie... more From 1972 to 2001, extensive archaeological research was performed at the shipwreck of the Henrietta Marie, a London-based slave ship sunk in 1700 at remote New Ground Reef in the western Florida Keys. Between 2001 and 2003, to build upon the earlier investigations, the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum and the RPM Nautical Foundation conducted magnetometer surveys across New Ground with the hope of locating historic shipwrecks, but with a particular focus on finding missing portions of the Henrietta Marie. Multiple magnetic anomalies were detected in these surveys, and many appeared to relate to the wrecked slave ship. When a sampling of buried anomalies was tested by excavation, all that was revealed was evidence of fire within a submerged paleo-landscape. This presentation by Dr. Corey Malcom, MFMM Director of Archaeology, details the research and works toward understanding the unusual discoveries.
In 1860, the New Orleans-based schooner Peter Mowell wrecked on the shore of Lynyard Cay in The B... more In 1860, the New Orleans-based schooner Peter Mowell wrecked on the shore of Lynyard Cay in The Bahamas while attempting to carry 400 captive African people to Cuba. Bahamian wreckers rescued the survivors and took them to Nassau: the crew was jailed, and the Africans were made indentured servants. After completing their indentures, the shipwrecked Africans blended into Bahamian society but retained a distinctive “Congo” identity. In 2012, a Bahamian/US research partnership located the remains of the Peter Mowell. The wreck site was surveyed and artifacts recovered for display. Descendants from the various groups tied to the Peter Mowell – from Africans, to crew, to wreckers – have been identified, making the shipwreck a living part of our modern world. Today, the Peter Mowell is featured in Nassau’s Pompey Museum of Slavery and Emancipation. This lecture was originally presented in 2018 at the Society for Historical Archaeology’s annual conference and at the University of The Bahamas.
This presentation gives an overview of the research processes that led to the identification of a... more This presentation gives an overview of the research processes that led to the identification of an unidentified shipwreck Found off Grand Bahama Island as that of the Santa Clara, sunk in 1564. The long-lost ship was owned by Pedro Menendez de Aviles, the famed Spanish mariner who is best remembered for establishing the first enduring European colony in North America at St. Augustine, Florida. Menendez was not with Santa Clara when it sank, but the shipwreck tells of the world in which he operated. And it illustrates details of Spain’s transatlantic system as it transitioned from conquest to commerce. The shipwreck was initially called the “St. Johns Bahamas Wreck,” because it was discovered by St. Johns Expeditions, a Florida-based shipwreck salvage company. In a unique arrangement, St. Johns turned their discovery to the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum for a wholly archaeological study; the artifact collection to remain intact in both Key West and The Bahamas.
On December 19, 1827, the Havana-based pirate slave ship Guerrero wrecked on a reef off Key Largo... more On December 19, 1827, the Havana-based pirate slave ship Guerrero wrecked on a reef off Key Largo, Florida, while being chased by the British Royal Navy schooner HMS Nimble. The wreck of Guerrero was tragic: forty-one of the 561 captive Africans on the ship drowned when it sank. The survivors were rescued, and items were salvaged from the wreck, but Guerrero never sailed again. Nimble grounded, too, but refloated after jettisoning iron ballast, shot, and a gun. In 2003, archaeological surveys began in the areas where the 1827 events occurred, and a shipwreck was located that matches what is known about Guerrero. Another site consisting of iron shot and iron ballast was found nearby. This presentation by Dr. Corey Malcom, Director of Archaeology for the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, gives an overview of the long running project and explains what has been revealed about the underwater sites, as well as the connections between the historical and archaeological evidence.
The 1622 Tierra Firme fleet is best known for the modern-day discoveries of the shipwrecked treas... more The 1622 Tierra Firme fleet is best known for the modern-day discoveries of the shipwrecked treasure galleons Nuestra Señora de Atocha and Santa Margarita. But the background of the fleet and its ships is not as well-known. In this video, Dr. Corey Malcom, Director of Archaeology at the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Key West, Florida, presents an overview of the history of the 1622 ships from within the context of the Spanish-colonial period. This presentation explores the story of the fleet from the time the ships sailed, to the disaster that befell them, to the various attempts by Spanish salvagers to find the shipwrecks.
Florida Keys History Center Occasional Papers No.2, 2024
In July of 1733, Spain’s Nueva España flota, carrying silver and other cargoes from Mexico, saile... more In July of 1733, Spain’s Nueva España flota, carrying silver and other cargoes from Mexico, sailed from Havana, Cuba bound for Cadiz. Two days into the journey, the ships were struck by a hurricane and twenty of them were sunk along the reefs of the Florida Keys. Rescue teams quickly arrived from Havana to begin saving people and treasure. The crews of English ships traveling the Gulf Stream current saw the wrecks and the recovery efforts and carried news of the disaster home. Their eyewitness accounts were published in various London newspapers, which led to a year-long stream of reporting on the disaster, the first sustained news reporting of events from the Florida Keys. This annotated and transcribed survey of news articles about the 1733 fleet found in the British Museum’s Burney Collection of eighteenth-century newspapers offers new insight into the story of the 1733 fleet and the practices and role of early journalism in spreading news from a then-distant corner of the world.
Florida Keys History Center Occasional Papers No.1, 2023
Henry A. Patterson, a New York City hardware clerk, kept a diary during a four-month stay at Key ... more Henry A. Patterson, a New York City hardware clerk, kept a diary during a four-month stay at Key West, Florida in 1843, while he visited family on the island and tended to business interests. Because of the length of his stay and his quasi-insider status, Patterson's entries offer exceptionally detailed descriptions of Florida Keys society, culture, economics, recreation, and travel. This transcript of Henry A. Patterson's diary-annotated and illustrated with contemporaneous images-brings new life to a long-lost chapter of the written record from the Florida Keys during the territorial period.
Mel Fisher Maritime Museum Occcasional Papers No.3, 2022
From 1972 to 2001, extensive archaeological research was performed at the shipwreck of the Henrie... more From 1972 to 2001, extensive archaeological research was performed at the shipwreck of the Henrietta Marie, a London-based slave ship sunk in 1700 at remote New Ground Reef in the western Florida Keys. Between 2001 and 2003, to build upon the earlier investigations, the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum and the RPM Nautical Foundation conducted magnetometer surveys across New Ground with the hope of locating historic shipwrecks, but with a particular focus on finding missing portions of the Henrietta Marie. Multiple magnetic anomalies were detected in these surveys, and many appeared to relate to the wrecked slaver. When a sampling of buried anomalies was tested by excavation, all that was revealed was evidence of fire within a submerged paleo-landscape. This paper details the research and works toward understanding the unusual discoveries.
Mel Fisher Maritime Museum Occasional Papers, No.2, 2021
A large collection of wrought iron restraints recovered from the wreck of the London-based mercha... more A large collection of wrought iron restraints recovered from the wreck of the London-based merchant slave ship Henrietta Marie, sunk in the Florida Keys in 1700, goes to the heart of the transatlantic slave trade. The devices, of a long-used design and called “bilboes,” held people captive on board the ship, prevented them from resisting their situation, and helped to ensure they were delivered without incident for sale in the Americas. A review of the history of bilboes, and a close look at the examples from the Henrietta Marie site, yields an understanding of the devices and the role they played in slave trading voyages.
(Note: This publication utilizes 3D-PDF technology. After download, it is best viewed on an electronic PDF reader. To enable 3D-PDF content, in your PDF reader, go to Edit > Preferences > check "Enable playing of 3D content".)
Mel Fisher Maritime Museum Occasional Papers, No.1, 2019
An examination of the people onboard the 1622 galleons Nuestra Señora de Atocha and Santa Margari... more An examination of the people onboard the 1622 galleons Nuestra Señora de Atocha and Santa Margarita and the disaster that befell them. In September of 1622, the Spanish Tierra Firme fleet was struck by a hurricane one day after it had left Havana, Cuba. The twenty-eight ships were battered by the storm, and seven of them were sunk near the Florida Keys. The disaster was a tremendous loss for Spain, with hundreds of people killed and valuable cargoes dashed to the bottom of the sea. This study is centered on an account of the tragedy that was written in Havana in November of 1622, which details the disaster and the people on the galleons Nuestra Señora de Atocha and Santa Margarita. This relation is supplemented by other, more detailed lists of people found in the Archives of the Indies in Seville. Further investigations into the individual life-histories of those on the two doomed galleons give a fuller understanding of who these people were, why they were sailing, and how their presence is sometimes recognized in the archaeological record.
In 1595, a Spanish survey team left Havana to reconnoiter the waters, reefs, and coastlines betwe... more In 1595, a Spanish survey team left Havana to reconnoiter the waters, reefs, and coastlines between Cuba, the Bahamas, and Florida, to gain a better, more-formal understanding of the area. The results of their successful survey were presented in a letter from Juan Maldonado Barnuevo , Governor of Cuba, to King Philip II. That letter is found today in the Archivo General de Indias in Seville. This annotated, English translation of the survey report helps to put the document in context for the modern reader.
In the summer of 1991, St. Johns Expeditions, a Florida-based marine salvage company, discov... more In the summer of 1991, St. Johns Expeditions, a Florida-based marine salvage company, discovered a shipwreck buried behind a shallow reef along the western edge of the Little Bahama Bank. The group contacted archaeologists to ascertain the significance of the discovery, and it was soon determined to be a Spanish ship dating to the 1500’s. The investigation of the shipwreck was entrusted to the author, working for the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society (MFMHS), a not-for-profit research center based in Key West, Florida. Between 1992 and 1999, the MFMHS conducted six excavations to examine and document the shipwreck. Careful analysis of the shipwreck shows that the sizeable vessel sailed between 1555 and 1575 and had touched at Tierra Firme (Colombia and Panama) before sinking during a return voyage to Spain. By comparing the archaeological evidence to the historical record, it becomes clear that the St. Johns shipwreck is the Santa Clara, a 300-ton Carrera de Indias galleon owned by the famed Spanish mariner Pedro Menéndez de Avilés. While returning to Spain in October of 1564, the ship grounded on a reef in the western Bahamas and could not be freed. Its cargo of silver and the people on board were safely removed to an accompanying vessel, and the Santa Clara was abandoned. With the identity and specific circumstances of the shipwreck known, it serves as an important touchstone in the understanding of the early Spanish colonial system.
From 2003 to 2005, magnetometer surveys were conducted across reefs surrounding Turtle Harbor nea... more From 2003 to 2005, magnetometer surveys were conducted across reefs surrounding Turtle Harbor near North Key Largo, Florida. These surveys were designed to document any and all cultural resources in the area, but they were also done with an interest in locating materials relating to the 1827 wreck of the Havana-based pirate-slaver Guerrero, which the historical record indicates was lost in the area. During the survey some 82 anomalies were detected and investigated, and three matched aspects of the 1827 story: a shipwreck site similar to Guerrero, a deposit of iron ballast and shot like that jettisoned by the British Royal Navy’s HMS Nimble, and an anchor possibly from Nimble. From 2005 through 2014, there were multiple follow-up investigations, including detailed survey and mapping expeditions in 2010 and 2012. The closer looks at the sites, and the many additional artifacts encountered during these various examinations, support the idea that they relate to the 1827 saga.
In July of 1860, the American schooner Peter Mowell wrecked along the shore of Lynyard Cay in the... more In July of 1860, the American schooner Peter Mowell wrecked along the shore of Lynyard Cay in the northeastern Bahamas, while attempting to carry 400 African people into slavery. Abaconian wreckers rescued the crew and almost all of the Africans and carried them to Nassau. The crew was eventually released, but the Africans were made indentured servants. After completing their terms of indenture, the shipwrecked Africans were incorporated into the general population of the Bahamas, but they maintained many distinctive traditions from their homelands. This brief history of the Peter Mowell was written to assist a partnership of historians, archaeologists, and museum professionals from the Bahamas and the US in the development of the story of the slave ship and the location of its wreck.
A map of the Florida Keys that appears to date to the 1730’s is found in the Archivo General de I... more A map of the Florida Keys that appears to date to the 1730’s is found in the Archivo General de Indias, Seville. Analysis of the chart reveals much about the wrecked New Spain fleet of 1733, and the geographical knowledge of the island chain in the Spanish Colonial period.
This brief article looks at two cooking cauldrons recovered from the wreck of a slave ship and ho... more This brief article looks at two cooking cauldrons recovered from the wreck of a slave ship and how they represent the two distinct populations onboard.
In 1860, the ships Wildfire, William, and Bogota, were intercepted by the US Navy in efforts to s... more In 1860, the ships Wildfire, William, and Bogota, were intercepted by the US Navy in efforts to stop the slave trade. These American-owned vessels were bound for Cuba, to sell their human cargoes to the sugar plantations there. The seized ships were brought to Key West, Florida, carrying a total of 1,432 African people. The island community, led by US Marshal Fernando Moreno, provided housing, clothing, food, and medical attention for them. For eighty-five days the newly-liberated refugees found shelter at the island. But, because of the horrific conditions they had suffered on the slave ships, many of the Africans were quite ill; 295 of them died while at Key West. The dead were buried on the southern shore of the island. The surviving Africans eventually left Key West on ships chartered through the American Colonization Society, for a new life in Liberia. With the interrupted missions of the Wildfire, the William, and the Bogota – among the last slave ships to touch on American shores – the transatlantic slave trade, an institution nearly four centuries old, was coming to a close. Today, after archaeological surveys located the site, the Key West African Cemetery is recognized by an interpretive monument, and the story of the Africans of 1860 is remembered as an important part of the island’s heritage.
A study of folding knives recovered from the Spanish 1622 galleons Nuestra Señora de Atocha and S... more A study of folding knives recovered from the Spanish 1622 galleons Nuestra Señora de Atocha and Santa Margarita.
From the founding of the town of Key West, Florida in the early 1820’s, through to the 1860’s, th... more From the founding of the town of Key West, Florida in the early 1820’s, through to the 1860’s, the island’s southern shore was the location for some of the community’s cemeteries. These cemeteries include a military one established by Commodore David Porter, the first municipal cemetery, and the African Cemetery of 1860. With the African Cemetery excepted, there is confusion as to exactly where these burial grounds were located, or what might remain from them, primarily because of a vague historical record, damage by hurricanes, and reburials. This study reviews the available information regarding these early Key West “South Beach” burial grounds.
The story of the long-running Key West turtling industry is examined through historical research,... more The story of the long-running Key West turtling industry is examined through historical research, the archaeological excavation of the Key West Turtle Kraals, and oral history. The turtling business helped to shape the island’s economy and development but at an unsustainable cost to the region’s sea turtles, especially the Green turtle (Chelonia mydas). The body of this paper, originally written in 2009, serves as the basis of the exhibit “The Rise and Fall of the Key West Turtle Fishing Industry” at the Key West Turtle Museum, Key West, Florida.
When the pirate-slaver Guerrero wrecked and its pursuer, the British Royal Navy schooner Nim... more When the pirate-slaver Guerrero wrecked and its pursuer, the British Royal Navy schooner Nimble, grounded on the Florida Reef in 1827, a considerable amount of historical information was generated about the events. A close look at the various documents that relate to this tragedy provides the information necessary to begin to understand where the events took place and what might be found there.
The Spanish pirate-slaver Guerrero was wrecked December 19, 1827 on a reef near Key Largo, F... more The Spanish pirate-slaver Guerrero was wrecked December 19, 1827 on a reef near Key Largo, Florida. Its tragic and dramatic loss was newsworthy in its day and is a relatively well-documented event. However, because the Guerrero was a pirate vessel operating outside of official systems, its origins and mode of operations have not been as well understood as its end. Through the survey of a wide range of newspapers and governmental documents, the brig’s career before 1827 is clearer. The Guerrero’s origins and many of its earlier incarnations are now evident. This knowledge will aid any future research concerning the vessel and its remains.
A rare example of a letter written onboard an active slave ship is found in the Schimmel Archives... more A rare example of a letter written onboard an active slave ship is found in the Schimmel Archives of the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society at Key West, Florida. This article builds on clues provided by the letter and unravels the story of the slave ship's venture and the people involved in its operation. It was quite common for a vessel to be owned and operated by people of one nationality, but then to have a sham crew of another; all in an attempt to confound the legal system. 11 The information about the capture of the Cintra comes from three sources: because as part of an agreement with Britain for a phased withdrawal from the slave trade, Portuguese vessels could conduct slaving ventures at Portuguese colonies with royal permission, but then only south of the equator. Using the Portuguese flag was another way to seek legal cover.
The Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society & Museum, in Key West, Florida, is exploring a range of ... more The Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society & Museum, in Key West, Florida, is exploring a range of events from the Transatlantic Slave Trade. These historical accounts and archaeological sites provide important, new insights into the nature of the cruel, history-changing system. This February 4, 2015, presentation by MFMHS Director of Archaeology Corey Malcom to the Key West Business Guild highlights some of the museum’s slave trade research, including the stories of the 1700 English slaver Henrietta Marie; the "Last Slave Ships" at Key West in 1860; and the 1860 slave ship Peter Mowell, wrecked in the Bahamas.
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The shipwreck was initially called the “St. Johns Bahamas Wreck,” because it was discovered by St. Johns Expeditions, a Florida-based shipwreck salvage company. In a unique arrangement, St. Johns turned their discovery to the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum for a wholly archaeological study; the artifact collection to remain intact in both Key West and The Bahamas.
Papers by Corey Malcom
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By comparing the archaeological evidence to the historical record, it becomes clear that the St. Johns shipwreck is the Santa Clara, a 300-ton Carrera de Indias galleon owned by the famed Spanish mariner Pedro Menéndez de Avilés. While returning to Spain in October of 1564, the ship grounded on a reef in the western Bahamas and could not be freed. Its cargo of silver and the people on board were safely removed to an accompanying vessel, and the Santa Clara was abandoned. With the identity and specific circumstances of the shipwreck known, it serves as an important touchstone in the understanding of the early Spanish colonial system.
The shipwreck was initially called the “St. Johns Bahamas Wreck,” because it was discovered by St. Johns Expeditions, a Florida-based shipwreck salvage company. In a unique arrangement, St. Johns turned their discovery to the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum for a wholly archaeological study; the artifact collection to remain intact in both Key West and The Bahamas.
(Note: This publication utilizes 3D-PDF technology. After download, it is best viewed on an electronic PDF reader. To enable 3D-PDF content, in your PDF reader, go to Edit > Preferences > check "Enable playing of 3D content".)
By comparing the archaeological evidence to the historical record, it becomes clear that the St. Johns shipwreck is the Santa Clara, a 300-ton Carrera de Indias galleon owned by the famed Spanish mariner Pedro Menéndez de Avilés. While returning to Spain in October of 1564, the ship grounded on a reef in the western Bahamas and could not be freed. Its cargo of silver and the people on board were safely removed to an accompanying vessel, and the Santa Clara was abandoned. With the identity and specific circumstances of the shipwreck known, it serves as an important touchstone in the understanding of the early Spanish colonial system.