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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1086 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1086
Recognizing the historical significance of the Clotilda, condemning the
United States role in the Atlantic slave trade, and acknowledging its
lasting impact on African Americans.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 26, 2026
Mr. Figures (for himself, Ms. Norton, Ms. Sewell, Mr. Davis of
Illinois, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Mr. Bell, Mr. Amo, Mr. Cleaver, Mrs.
Beatty, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Veasey, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mr.
Horsford, Mrs. Hayes, Mrs. McIver, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mrs. McBath,
Ms. McClellan, and Mr. Johnson of Georgia) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and
in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the historical significance of the Clotilda, condemning the
United States role in the Atlantic slave trade, and acknowledging its
lasting impact on African Americans.
Whereas, on July 8, 1860, the Clotilda became the last known ship to bring
enslaved Africans to the United States, carrying 110 Africans, long
after the abolishment of the transatlantic slave trade in 1808;
Whereas those who survived disembarked near Mobile, Alabama, and established
their livelihood throughout the State of Alabama in areas such as
Mobile, Pickens, Baldwin, Washington, Dallas, Marengo, Wilcox, Autauga,
Elmore, and Montgomery Counties;
Whereas one of the most notable communities is the community of Africatown,
founded by the Mobile Africans around 1868, maintaining their language,
customs, and cultural heritage;
Whereas the story of the Clotilda stands as a powerful testament to the
enterprise of resilience and resistance among the African people who
were enslaved;
Whereas the Atlantic slave trade forcibly removed millions of Africans to the
Americas, inflicting intergenerational trauma and disrupting familial
and community bonds;
Whereas the United States Government and other American institutions played an
active role in enabling and sustaining the transatlantic slave trade
through legal, political, and economic systems; and
Whereas acknowledging and confronting this history is essential to the ongoing
work of racial healing, justice, and reconciliation: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the 110 enslaved Africans aboard the
Clotilda who were brought to the United States illegally in
1860;
(2) recognizes the descendants of those 110 Africans who
have lived and still live with the impacts of this crime;
(3) recognizes the historical significance of the Clotilda
as the last known slave ship to arrive in the United States;
(4) recognizes the enduring legacy of the Atlantic slave
trade and the harm it has inflicted on African Americans,
including the disruption of families, communities, and cultural
continuity;
(5) condemns the participation and facilitation by the
United States, through legal, political, and economic
institutions, in the transatlantic slave trade;
(6) affirms the cultural and historical importance of
Africatown and the communities founded by the descendants of
the Clotilda, and urges continued support for their
preservation; and
(7) encourages the Architect of the Capitol to consider
establishing a memorial within the United States Capitol
Grounds to honor the story of the Clotilda and all victims of
the Atlantic slave trade.
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