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Fort Mose Historical Society
Fort Mose State Park and Museum, 15 Fort Mose Trail, St. Augustine, FL, 32084Cultural Discussions with Yamasee Chief Mico Hadjo and Dr. Susan Parker
St. Augustine History Festival at Fort Mose
Theme: Inter-Ethnic Collaboration in St. Augustine and Fort Mose
1565-1740
Friday, May 10th
12:30 pm: Militia Musket and Cannon Demonstration
2:00 pm: Yamasee Chief Mico Hadjo and representatives from the Yamasee nation speak on Yamasee culture and make presentations on beading and additional cultural artefacts.
- African Art Exhibition by Ovico Gallery
- Food Trucks
- Free Ben and Jerry’s ice cream
- African Drummers
Saturday, May 11th
12:30 pm: Militia Musket and Cannon Demonstration
2:00 – 2:45 pm: Historian Susan Parker. PhD. Discusses “Inter-Ethnic Collaboration in St. Augustine, 1565 through the early 1700s”
2:45 – 3:30 pm: Chief Mico Hadjo discusses cooperation between Yamasee and Africans on the Flight to Freedom and within the community of Fort Mose.”
- African Art Exhibition by Ovico Gallery
- Food Trucks
- Free Ben and Jerry’s ice cream
- African Drummers
Regular Hours of Operation:
The visitor center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday through Monday.
The grounds are open daily from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., 365 days a year.
Fort Mose Historic State Park is the site of the first legally sanctioned free African settlement in what is now the United States. In 1738, the Spanish governor of Florida chartered the settlement of Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose, or Fort Mose for short, as a settlement for those fleeing slavery from the English colonies in the Carolinas.
Over the next 25 years, Fort Mose and Spanish St. Augustine became a sanctuary for Africans seeking liberation from the tyranny of English slavery amidst a large-scale power struggle between European powers in the New World. The only stipulation for gaining their freedom was that they had to declare their allegiance to the king of Spain and became members of the Catholic Church. It is estimated that 100 Africans made Fort Mose their new home. What is particularly interesting is that the residents created a new cultural community, pulling from Native American, Spanish and English cultural customs.
Fort Mose has been recognized for its national significance in the history of the United States. In 1994, the site was designated as a National Historic Landmark and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.