The Story of Fort Mose

The story of freedom for many began in St. Augustine. For African Americans, the stories are as deep as the trails are long.

Historic Fort Mose

Some pottery, buttons, trinkets and rusty tools are just some of the artifacts that remain from the settlement that was once Fort Mose. Yet these small items tell a much bigger story of the people who lived together and fought for freedom in the early years of the nation. It was here where, by 1738, more than 100 enslaved Africans escaped the British colonies in Georgia and South Carolina. These courageous people risked it all heading southward, on foot, through swamps and dense forests, seeking assistance along the way from Native American, creating the first Underground Railroad. And it lead directly to what is today a National Historic landmark, Fort Mose Historic State Park.

Fort Mose became the site of the first legally sanctioned free African community in the U.S. The Africans who survived the arduous 300-mile journey south were granted asylum by the Spanish in exchange for conversion to Catholicism and a term of military service in defense of the fortified town named Gracia Real de Santa Teresa. And while the original Fort Mose has been swallowed by marsh, visitors can still view the land where it once stood and where archeological digs are still being conducted to retrieve what is left of the settlement.

History Museum

The museum at the park offers a glimpse into this world with its collection of artifacts and interactive displays that tell the story of the first freedom seekers that arrived in 1687, a group that included eight men, two women and a three-year-old nursing child. Visitors will learn how these early African settlers were given land to build their homes, farm and raise families as free men, women and children.

"Watering Our Roots": Fort Mose Historic Park

Fort Mose Events

Fort Mose holds several exciting events throughout the year for those interested in learning more about this early settlement. Please check with Fort Mose Historic State Park to confirm their schedule of events.

First Saturdays of every month - Militia Muster and Training. Members of the Fort Mose Militia offer visitors the opportunity to participate in the children's militia training, using wooden toy muskets and authentic uniform accessories
February - Flight to Freedom. Each year in mid-February the Flight to Freedom event recreates the 17th-century experience of the hundreds of slaves who traveled in search of freedom, featuring several living history interpreters portraying the various characters who would have impacted a freedom seeker's journey to Spanish Florida.
March - Founders Day: The Founding of Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose. Witness the processions, pageantry, ceremony, and cannon salutes surrounding the official founding of Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose, or ‘Fort Mose’, in 1738. This marks the anniversary of the historic event that established Fort Mose as the first legally sanctioned free Black community in North America.
June - Battle of Bloody Mose. This annual reenactment of the June 26, 1740, Battle of Bloody Mose provides visitors with an exciting look at the pivotal battle between the British under the command of Georgia’s James Oglethorpe and the Spanish militia, composed of former British slaves who had been granted their freedom by the Spanish.