In 2018, the long lost, but never forgotten schooner Clotilda was finally located by award-winning environmental journalist, filmmaker and Fairhope resident Ben Raines. The remnants of the last American slave ship were resting on the bottom of the Mobile River near Twelve Mile Island.

The discovery made national news and revived interest in the history surrounding the Clotilda and the 110 Africans that were brought to Mobile around 1860. The Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves was a federal law that prohibited the import of new slaves into the United States. The law took effect Jan. 1, 1808, an estimated 52 years before the Clotilda arrived in Mobile Bay.

National Geographic is releasing a documentary special, "Clotilda: Last American Slave Ship," Monday, Feb. 7 at 9 p.m. on National Geographic. The film will also be available to stream Feb. 8 on Hulu. The documentary follows archaeologists as they explore the wreck and features interviews with descendants of the passengers who share their ancestors' stories.