Florida's Underground Railroad

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Runaway slaves seeking freedom with great courage and determination traveled the Underground Railroad south to "free" Florida and often continued their tenuous journey through Florida to the Bahamas. Many who sought refuge in the wilds of Florida fought with the British in the War of 1812; others fought in the Seminole Indian Wars against Gen. Andrew Jackson, and during the violent removal of the native peoples of Florida.

Fort Mose on the northern edge of St. Augustine is a National Historic Landmark and was a precursor site of the Underground Railroad. It is the earliest known legally sanctioned free black community in the present United States.

Cape Florida stands as one of the earliest stations on the Underground Railroad and was a secret meeting place and port for runaway slaves and Black Seminoles who sought freedom in the British Bahamas.

British Fort near the Apalachicola River, also a National Historic Landmark like Fort Mose, was a precursor site as a symbol of the strong relationship between runaway slaves and the Seminole Indians. The fort was used as British headquarters for negotiations between the black and Indian communities and soon became known as "Negro Fort." The fort was destroyed under order of Major Gen. Andrew Jackson. Another fort was built upon the site by Lieutenant James Gadsden and it is known as Fort Gadsden.

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne was officially designated in 2005 as a National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site. Cape Florida stands as one of the earliest stations on the Underground Railroad and was a secret meeting place and port for runaway slaves and Black Seminoles who sought freedom in the British Bahamas. In 1821 it was reported some 300 freedom seekers bartered for passage aboard 27 sloops or chose to sail Indian dugout canoes 107 nautical miles to secluded Andros Island. The construction of the Cape Florida Lighthouse in 1825 effectively blocked the escape route. Bahamian descendents, some of whom still call themselves "Black Seminoles," live in the Red Bays settlement on Andros.