[2][3] He purchased the slave-ship Clotilda[4][5] and was responsible for the last known slave voyage to the United States after the abolishment of slavery.
[9] When the Clotilda arrived back in Mobile Bay Alabama, Foster and Meaher had to work late into the first night to unload the enslaved Africans off of the ship without getting caught by the authorities.
The enslaved Africans were put onto small boats and were taken to John Dabney’s property, one of Meaher’s friends, where they would be concealed for multiple days to avoid suspicion.
[10] Meaher had its captain, William Foster (1825–1901), burn and scuttle Clotilda in Mobile Bay, attempting to destroy evidence of their joint lawbreaking.
Thirty-two formerly enslaved Africans purchased land from Meaher, where they established a town they named ‘Africatown’, which still exists to this day in Mobile Alabama.
[13] The building of the International Paper Mill displaced Africatown residents and created a negative environmental impact on the community.
[14][15] Some of the family members composed a letter with a public statement in October 2022 expressing disapproval of their ancestor's actions.