The Search for Slave Ship Guerrero Wreck at Biscayne National Park

Discover highlights of current archaeological work at Biscayne National Park including the international search for the slave ship Guerrero, at 6 p.m. on July 14, 2018, at the Dante Fascell Visitor Center. A film will be shown about the search for the Guerrero and archaeologists will be available to talk about the search, the Slave Wrecks Project and other park shipwrecks.

“This event highlights some of the amazing work performed by the international team of archaeologists and provides an excellent opportunity to learn about how submerged cultural resources are preserved and protected,” said Josh Marano, Archaeological Technician at Biscayne National Park.

Guerrero was a slave ship that wrecked in 1827 in the Florida Keys during a battle with a British anti-piracy vessel. 41 enslaved Africans were killed in the wreck. Hundreds of survivors were either recaptured and shipped to Cuba, or transported to Key West for eventual settlement in Liberia.

The search for the Guerrero is being conducted by National Park Service archaeologists who are hosting a field school associated with the Slave Wrecks Project, an international network of researchers led by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Additional partners participating in the project include George Washington University, the Iziko Museums of South Africa, the National Association of Black Scuba Divers and the Diving With a Purpose program.