the province of Matanzas. The fort was refurbished by the British in 1784. It was destroyed and abandoned in 1812 after a failed attempt by a group of Americans who called themselves the Florida Patriots to seize the peninsula for the United States.
For more than 150 years, Fort Mose disappeared from memory until the site was rediscovered through the efforts of legislators, scientists and historians, according to Kathleen Deagan and Darcie MacMahon in their book“ Fort Mose: Colonial America’ s Black Fortress of Freedom.”
Deagan, with the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida, led the research project and uncovered a wide range of detailed information about the fort.
Landers conducted the primary historical research and was also involved in the work uncovering the lost fort, using old documents and maps in the colonial archives of Spain, Florida, Cuba and South Carolina.
But historical maps were not enough to determine
where the long-vanished fort had been, according to Deagan and MacMahon.
“ Historical documents were combined with space age technology to determine the location of Fort Mose,” they said.
The location of the first fort now lies at the bottom of a salt marsh, but thermal imaging was used to discover the small square structure of the fort. The second fort was found using aerial photographs, old maps and archaeological remains, Deagan and MacMahon said. The discovery of the location allowed for an archaeological excavation of the site, which has uncovered a wealth of data about the fort and its inhabitants.
Aaron London is Editor, The Story of Fort Mose. He is also Editor, EVOLVE News.
“ The Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources is excited to see reconstruction begin on Fort Mose. This project celebrates the history of the first legally-sanctioned free Black community in the United States, which served as a gateway to freedom for people escaping slavery. We are proud to support this effort through our African American Cultural and Historical Grant and we eagerly await its completion when it will serve as a lasting reminder of Florida’ s important role in American history.”
– Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd
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