ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Seventh stop:
​Fort Mose Historic State Park, Fl. The first free African American community - in Spanish Florida!

By Miguel Pérez

​​I have been here twice, but I only got as far as the gate. Both times the park was closed. This time, I timed my trip so I could arrive on a day this precious, historic site was open for me to explore! 

And all I can tell you is Wow! I'm really going to enjoy writing a column and showing you photos of this place -- perhaps as much as I enjoyed (in spite of a scorching sun) walking its paths and learning more about its history.

This is the place where runaway slaves from the British Carolinas built a fort to defend Spanish St. Augustine. After arriving in Florida, they had been given their freedom by Spanish authorities. This is the place where the first free African American community was born!

This is not only Hidden Hispanic Heritage. It's hidden African heritage!

Two of my students have already written essays about Fort Mose. But now I will have so much more first hand experience to describe what remains of this amazing place, from its wonderful exhibits and walking trails to its plans to build a replica of the original fort. I even got to watch a great movie about the park's history. And I had an opportunity to interview Billy McNaught, the ranger ("park services specialist") who runs the place.

"The fort will be rebuilt," he told me. "That's for sure. We already have a million dollar grant to pay for it." Stay tuned for my upcoming column on Fort Mose. But now we have to move on to St. Augustine. We have many places to visit there!

For now, an essay by my students on Fort Mose:
Runaway slaves establish Fort Mose,
​the first free African-American community​

En español: ​​Séptima parada: ​Parque Estatal Histórico Fort Mose, Fl. ​La primera comunidad afroamericana libre - en la Florida española!