The Trouvadore Project: The Search for a Slave Ship and its Cultural Importance

Trouvadore was one of numerous illegal slave ships taking Africans from Africa after Britain had outlawed the slave trade in 1807. The vessel wrecked off the coast of East Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands in 1841 and 168 of the survivors entered the local community, increasing the population by 7%. The Trouvadore Project, led by the Turks and Caicos National Museum, is uncovering the story of Trouvadore and the cultural legacy of the survivors. Bringing together many disciplines, including archaeology, this project provides information about Trouvadore for the present population of the Turks and Caicos, many of whom are direct descendants of the African survivors.