Slavery was an important part of colonial America, particularly in the plantation south. Slaves were imported from Africa and were treated as chattel. While this life might have been pleasant for the plantation owners, it was a miserable existence for the African slaves. Many tried to escape, were tracked down and either killed or mutilated.
By the late 1600s, Britain had colonized lands along the Atlantic coast north of Florida, while Spain claimed Florida as one of its colonies. The relationship between Spain and Britain was not particularly friendly at this time. As early as 1687 escaped slaves from the British colonies were being offered asylum in Spanish Florida. In 1693 Spain decreed that African slaves who escaped from their British owners could be emancipated in Spanish Florida if they agreed to three conditions. First, they had to become Catholics (Britain was Protestant at this time). Second, they had to swear allegiance to the Spanish King. And finally, the men had to join the Spanish militia.
The word of potential freedom in Spanish Florida reached the slaves on the plantations in South Carolina and Georgia. For African slaves who dared to escape, the trails to Spanish Florida were long and dangerous. On the trail they had to avoid the slave catchers. In addition, they faced exhaustion, starvation, and disease. Many of those who escaped died before reaching Florida and freedom.
By 1737, at least 100 former slaves had reached Florida and had been emancipated. They were living in Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose near St. Augustine. The village included houses made in Indian style: they were constructed from poles with palm leaves for roofs. The village was surrounded by an earthwork wall with a stockade of logs on top. This in turn was surrounded by a ditch which was lined with prickly pear (cactus). Fort Mose, as it came to be called, also had a well and a watchtower.
A Mandingo from West Africa, who was later known as Francisco Menendez, escaped from British slavery in the Carolinas. He sought refuge among the Yamasee Indians and fought with them against the British colonists. In return for his service as a warrior, one of the Yamasee chiefs helped him get to St. Augustine. Here he became the captain of the original Fort Mose militia and was acknowledged as their leader. In the years that followed, he distinguished himself through his bravery and valor. He was commended for his service by the Spanish Governor of St. Augustine.
In sanctioning the settlement of former slaves, the Spanish government intended to destabilize the British plantation economy of the Carolinas and Georgia. The Spanish felt that Fort Mose would serve as a beacon of freedom which would encourage slaves to escape.
In 1739, knowing that Fort Mose in Florida offered African slaves freedom, the Stono Rebellion broke out among a group of slaves in South Carolina. Several dozen slaves unsuccessfully attempted to reach the fabled Fort Mose.
In 1739 the War of Jenkins’ Ear broke out between Spain and Britain. General James Olethorpe, the governor of Georgia, decided to raise an expedition to capture and destroy St. Augustine.
In May 1740, 170 British troops from Georgia under Colonel John Palmer marched toward Fort Mose. The people of Fort Mose abandoned the village and took refuge in nearby St. Augustine. The British troops then occupied the abandoned fort. About 300 Spanish troops which included the former slaves from Fort Mose as well as their Seminole allies, launched a pre-dawn attack on the British. The Spanish recaptured the fort, killing 68 of the British soldiers and taking 34 prisoners. During the battle, however, Fort Mose was destroyed.
From 1740 until 1752, the former African slaves lived in St. Augustine as free and equal Spanish citizens. In 1752, Fort Mose was rebuilt on higher ground to the northeast. In their new community, the men continued to be on call as soldiers. In addition, the people worked as sailors, fishermen, blacksmiths, cowboys, and builders. By 1759, the Catholic priest Father Solana reported that there were 22 houses made of palm thatch at Fort Mose. The population included 37 men, 15 women, 7 boys, and 8 girls.
In 1763, the Spanish ceded Florida to Britain. Spanish citizens in Florida and the Africans living at Fort Mose were evacuated to the northwest coast of Cuba.
Fort Mose is considered to have been the first free black settlement legally sanctioned in what would become the United States. In 1986, archaeological and historical investigations began to be carried out at the site of Fort Mose under Dr. Kathleen Deagan. The details of daily life at Fort Mose are being filled in by the archaeological finds at the site.
The site of Fort Mose is currently designated as the Fort Mose Historic State Park. In 1994, the site of Fort Mose was designated as a National Historic Landmark and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2009, Fort Mose was named by the National Park Service as a precursor site on the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.
According to the park’s website:
Although there are no remains of the earth and wooden structures, visitors can still view the land where the settlement once stood. Stroll down the sundrenched boardwalk and imagine life in the eighteenth century. Learn more about the story of Fort Mose in our newly constructed visitor center and museum or explore the grounds and view one of the many exhibits available.