Florida State Park Will Pay Homage to First Free Black Settlement in US

In the late 1700s, Fort Mose was home to enslaved African people seeking freedom from the English colonies farther north along the Atlantic coast.

1 minute read

May 14, 2024, 6:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Aerial view of marshy land at Fort Mose State Historic Park in Florida.

The remnants of Fort Mose are largely buried under the marshes of Florida's Atlantic coast. | Seth / Adobe Stock

The first legally sanctioned free Black settlement in the United States — predating the Civil War by a century — will soon offer visitors a life-sized replica of the complex known as Fort Mose, which has been buried under earth and water on the Florida coast.

Sarah Enelow-Snyder describes the history and rediscovery of the fort in The Washington Post, writing, “An early iteration of the Underground Railroad in the 17th and 18th centuries brought enslaved people from English plantations in the Carolinas down to freedom at Fort Mose, which was controlled by Spanish settlers.”

After the first freedom seekers arrived in St. Augustine in 1687, more followed. Once the exodus of enslaved people began threatening the English economy to the north, the English attacked the fort multiple times, and it was eventually abandoned. “Starting in the 1980s, archaeologists uncovered the fort’s moat, clay-covered earth walls, and interior wooden buildings. They found artifacts including gun flints, flattened bullets, metal buckles, ceramics, glass bottles, burned seeds and bones from food sources.” The new replica will reimagine the fort as it would have looked when it was first built based on existing information and other Spanish forts.

Sunday, May 12, 2024 in The Washington Post

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Floor-to-ceiling rotating gates at Fairmount subway station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Crime Continues to Drop on Philly, San Francisco Transit Systems

SEPTA and BART both saw significant declines in violent crime in the first quarter of 2025.

April 28 - Mass Transit

South LA Wetlands Park in Los Angeles, California.

How South LA Green Spaces Power Community Health and Hope

Green spaces like South L.A. Wetlands Park are helping South Los Angeles residents promote healthy lifestyles, build community, and advocate for improvements that reflect local needs in historically underserved neighborhoods.

April 28 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

Intersection in downtown Sacramento, California with neoclassical building with columns on left.

Sacramento Plans ‘Quick-Build’ Road Safety Projects

The city wants to accelerate small-scale safety improvements that use low-cost equipment to make an impact at dangerous intersections.

April 28 - The Sacramento Bee