The Hermosa was a schooner whose 1840 grounding in the Bahamas led to a controversy between the US and Britain over the 38 slaves who had been on board the ship.
Contents
Facts
The Hermosa was sailing from Richmond, Virginia, to New Orleans, with a cargo of slaves, when it was wrecked in the Abacos. Because Britain had abolished slavery in 1833, the local government forcibly removed and freed the slaves after the ship docked in Nassau.
Impact
The freeing of the Hermosa's slaves was widely discussed in the United States. The next year, slaves on the Creole rebelled against the ship's crew, and chose to go to the Bahamas because they had heard about the Hermosa. The cases of both ships were discussed in Congress, leading to at least one call for war against Britain if compensation was not made.
Resolution
The owner of the Hermosa's slaves, Robert Lumpkin, sought compensation in admiralty court. The case was dealt with together with claims related to the Enterprize and Creole, and the ship's insurers were awarded $16,000 in compensation in 1855.