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Fort Mose
Florida
The Old City of
St Augustine Fla. is the site of many
“firsts” in our country. Here, you can find the
First Parish
at the Cathedral Basilica, the first large scale resort and
hotel at the former Ponce de Leon Hotel which is now a part
of Flagler College. One of our nation’s first forts, the
Castillo de San Marcos is also located here. What many do
not realize, however, is that the
Old City played a small,
but significant role in the lives of escaped slaves well
before Lincoln signed and read the Emancipation
Proclamation, the document which gave freedom to all slaves
living in the United States. Prior to the Revolution the
Spanish colony of
St Augustine established the first free
black settlement in 1738. Read on to find out more about
this historic and significant place, and plan to visit
Fort Mose Florida, one of the
most interesting St Augustine Florida
Attractions.
While Africans were brought to America during the first
landing in Florida, it was not until after the establishment
of other European colonies that the population of slaves in
our country grew exponentially. After seeing the Spanish
succeed in establishing a colony in the New World, the
English set out to establish their own place in America, and
set up Charles Towne in 1670. In establishing the new
colony, the planters and their families relied heavily on
slave labor to establish their farms. Later, these forced,
unpaid workers were typically the only ones to work the
plantations. It was after seeing that the slave populations
outnumbered the white European settlers to the north of
Florida, that the Spanish monarchy and Florida’s Spanish
Governor, Manuel de Moniano decided to make a decisive
political move. The colony and city of
St Augustine Fla. set
up a fortified area within the city, where they allowed
African slaves from the settlements and colonies to the
north of Florida to come and live freely, if they would
swear an allegiance to Spain. Many of the black slaves in
places like Georgia and South Carolina followed an underground
tunnel--much like the tunnel famously known as the
Underground Railroad, that led to the North--which lead
south to the freed slave colony, then called Gracia Real de
Santa Teresa de Mose, to escape the tyranny and terrible
lives they encountered on the plantations.
 The fortified settlement of free slaves consisted of about
100 Africans and about 20 households during its time as a
sanctuary. Because of their heritage and historic lineage,
the culture of the freed slaves that lived at
Fort Mose was
a mixture of African, Spanish, and Southern slave culture
and thus, today, the historic landmark at
Fort Mose tries to
capture and tribute this way of life. After setting up
Fort Mose, which is pronounced “Fort MoHsey”, the Spanish
used the fort as the northern defense of the city. The freed
African militia that operated the fort, was lead by a man of
both Spanish and African origin, his name was Francisco
Menendez.
Today, visitors can tour Fort Mose Florida and learn more
about this dynamic and fascinating small community of freed
slaves. Whereas many of their family members and descendents
were not so fortunate, the freed slaves of
Fort Mose lived much like the other Spanish settlers in
St Augustine Fla. They
enjoyed life as freed men, and because of this they flourished, creating and
educating many in the community. As one of
St Augustine's most
unique historic
St Augustine Florida Attractions,
Fort Mose
St Augustine Florida is a place that you do not want to miss
if you love history.
Learn more about the Inn on Charlotte, St Augustine’s most
welcoming St Augustine FL Bed and Breakfast. Located just
minutes from your favorite
Things to Do in St Augustine FL
and all of the neat
St Augustine Florida Attractions, the
Inn on Charlotte is a wonderful place to stay if you are
looking for lodging for a
Florida Beach Getaway and fun
filled Florida Beach Vacation to the
Old City. Read on
to learn more about all of the great
Things to Do in St
Augustine and peruse information on the
St Augustine
Florida Lighthouse, the Fountain of Youth Park,
Marineland
Florida, and all of the wonderful
St Augustine Golf Courses. |
