Fort Mose Historic State Park

In 1693, the Spanish crown issued a decree granting asylum to enslaved Africans who fled British colonies, on the condition they converted to Catholicism and served in the colonial militia. By 1738, that policy had produced something concrete: Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose, built roughly two miles north of St. Augustine — the first legally sanctioned free Black settlement in what would become the United States. About 100 people lived there. A replica of the original 1738 fort, completed in May 2025, now stands on the site alongside a visitor center and museum.