Fort Mose (St. Augustine, Florida)
St. Augustine · Florida · Colonial period, War of Jenkins' Ear
History & Significance
The Spanish governor of Florida chartered the settlement of Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose as a settlement for those fleeing slavery from the English colonies in the Carolinas. The only stipulation for gaining freedom was that settlers had to declare their allegiance to the king of Spain and become members of the Catholic Church.
It is estimated that 100 Africans made Fort Mose their new home. The military leader, Francisco Menéndez—a Mandinga born in the Gambia region and formerly enslaved in Carolina—escaped to Spanish Florida and distinguished himself when he helped defend the city from a British attack in 1728.
The militarized community at Fort Mose offered strategic value in protecting St. Augustine. After the Battle of Bloody Mose in 1740, the fort was briefly abandoned but rebuilt nearby and reoccupied from 1752 to 1763.
When Spain ceded all of La Florida to England in 1763, the citizens of Fort Mose once again faced enslavement and abandoned the fort, seeking safety in Spanish Cuba. In 1994, the site was designated as a National Historic Landmark and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A historically accurate replica fort was completed and opened to the public in May 2025.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Replica colonial fort structure built on original foundations
- Museum exhibits on the Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose, the first free Black community in North America
- Archaeological displays revealing daily life, artifacts, and personal histories of formerly enslaved settlers
- Coastal setting with views of Matanzas Bay and St. Augustine harbor
- Interactive exhibits on Spanish colonial Florida and 18th-century African American freedom seekers
Sources
- https://www.floridastateparks.org/learn/history-fort-mose
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Mose
- https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/histarch/research/st-augustine/fort-mose/
- https://blackpast.org/african-american-history/fort-mose-florida/
- https://fortmose.org/about-fort-mose/
- https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/exhibits/online/fort-mose/