In the Spanish colony of Florida, the settlement of Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose (Fort Mose) was established in 1738. Which of the following best explains why this community is historically significant in the study of flight from enslavement?
- AIt was a temporary settlement representing petit maroonage, where individuals fled briefly to negotiate terms before returning to British plantations.
- It was the first legally sanctioned free Black town in North America, serving as a permanent sanctuary for self-liberated people who escaped British colonial plantations.Answer
- CIt was a plantation site where enslaved people primarily engaged in day-to-day resistance, such as breaking tools and feigning illness, without fleeing.
- DIt was the starting point of Nat Turner's rebellion, a major nineteenth-century armed uprising of enslaved people that attempted to capture Florida.
Answer
It was the first legally sanctioned free Black town in North America, serving as a permanent sanctuary for self-liberated people who escaped British colonial plantations.
The correct answer is correct because Spanish Florida offered freedom to enslaved runaways from British colonies under the 1693 Royal Decree of Proclamation, which led to the official chartering of Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose (Fort Mose) in 1738 as the first legally sanctioned free Black settlement in North America.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Establishment of free Black settlements and maroon-like communities in Spanish Florida as a destination for flight from British enslavement.
Estimated Time:1m 0s