Hurricane Michael knocked down trees near the Apalachicola River. It exposed the site of a mostly forgotten “Negro Fort”.
The site was home to a large community of escaped slaves known as Maroons, who joined the British military in exchange for their freedom. They lived in the fort, which housed some 300 barrels of British gunpowder, on a bluff overlooking the Apalachicola River, with members of the Seminole, Creek, Miccosukee, and Choctaw tribes. — Archaeology Magazine
The fort was destroyed in the first battle major battle of the Seminole Wars conducted by our President’s favorite racist genocidal general, Andrew Jackson. July 27, 1816 a canon shot by the US Navy ignited the gunpowder killing 270 men, women and children. Survivors were captured and re-enslaved.
… the United States … wage(d) what was arguably one of its most consequential, yet largely forgotten, military attacks: the Battle of Negro Fort, in which American troops destroyed a settlement of free, armed black people and Native Americans, killing hundreds. Splinter
This was the part of the expulsion of the Native Americans from the American south and the securing of the slave holder power in the United States.
Here is a seven minute short on the Fort.
The site is not now open. It has not been restored since Michael. The Forest Service has given a 15 thousand dollar grant to retrieve artifacts from the site. The area could have surely use some of the $2.5 million dollars taken from National Parks funds for the “Salute to America” 4th of July extravaganza.
The other major Florida free ‘Maroon’ site is Angola. Next weekend, July 19- 21 will be the second annual Back to Angola Festival. It seems to be a work in progress. Some background.