Spanish colonial black militia
Hefter, n.d., Artes de México, 1968.

As early as 1689, African slaves fled from British America to Spanish Florida seeking freedom. After 1693 they received liberty in exchange for defending the Spanish settlers at St. Augustine. The Spanish organized the blacks into a militia, and in 1738 they founded a settlement at Fort Mose outside St. Augustine, the first legally sanctioned free black town in North America.

Also see:

• More on Spanish influence
• Fort Mose, free black fortress 
• British reaction: Counter-attacks of 1730s
• Slide with full image credit

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